Assessment of Hematological and Inflammatory Parameters in Patients Receiving Isotretinoin Therapy for Acne Vulgaris

Objectives:Isotretinoin (ISO) is a synthetic analog of vitamin A used at the doses of 0.5–2 mg/kg for four to five months in the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris. In the present study, both hematological and inflammatory parameters were retrospectively assessed in patients receiving ISO therapy for acne vulgaris. Method: This study included 352 patients who were admitted to the Dermatology Clinic and received oral ISO for the treatment of acne vulgaris were included in the study. Each patient’s hematological and inflammatory parameters (hemoglobin, hematocrit, thrombocyte, mean platelet volume, leukocyte, erythrocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, basophil, neutrophil/basophil, thrombocyte/lymphocyte, RDW, PCT and PDW) were evaluated before the treatment and retrospectively evaluated four months after the onset of treatment. Results: After treatment, a significant decrease was detected in the levels of leukocyte, neutrophil and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (an indicator of inflammation), and a significant increase was detected in the levels of thrombocyte and procalcitonin (PCT). Conclusion: In our study, isotretinoin inhibited the anti-inflammatory effect of isotretinoin treatment of acne in patients with NLR decline after treatment with inflammatory markers. Patients with markedly elevated platelet counts or low leukocyte counts should be closely monitored