A Study of FoxO1, mTOR, miR-21, miR-29b, and miR-98 Expression Levels Regarding Metabolic Syndrome in Acne Vulgaris Patients

Abstract

Background: Acne vulgaris (AV) is an inflammatory skin disease caused by the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). forkhead box protein (Fox) O1 is known to regulate the relationship between the mTORC1 signaling pathway and insulin resistance (IR). Increased mTORC1 signaling is known to predispose one to diseases such as insulin resistance (IR), obesity, and diabetes mellitus. One of the major components of mTORC1 is mTOR. FoxO1 and mTOR play key roles in the onset and progression of metabolic syndrome (MetS). In this study, we aimed to elucidate the relationship between AV and MetS through FoxO1 and mTOR signaling pathways and microRNAs (miRs) associated with these signaling pathways.Methods: We examined 20 AV patients without MetS, 16 AV patients with MetS, and 20 healthy controls. The demographic characteristics of the patients, MetS parameters, clinical severity of AV (Global Acne Grading System, GAGS), and the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) values were compared between the groups. In addition, the expression levels of FoxO1 and mTOR genes, along with the expression levels of miR-21, miR-29b, and miR-98, were assessed in skin biopsy samples from all groups using real-time polymerase chain reaction methods. FoxO1, mTOR, and miRNA expression levels were recorded as fold change.Results: The mean age of patients with AV without MetS was statistically lower. In AV patients with MetS, those with moderate GAGS scores had statistically significantly higher HOMA values than those with mild GAGS scores. FoxO1 expression was significantly lower in AV patients compared to controls. The mTOR expression levels of AV patients with MetS were significantly higher than the other two groups. The expression levels of miR-21 and miR-29b were significantly increased in the group of AV patients with MetS compared to the group of AV patients without MetS.Conclusions: These results suggested that the mTOR pathway may play an important role in explaining the relationship between AV and MetS in acne pathogenesis. They also suggested that miR-21 and miR-29b play a role in the inflammatory process of AV.