Isotretinoin Exposure and Risk of Celiac Disease

Acne as a common extraintestinal manifestation of celiac disease. Treatment approaches

Introduction. At present, global prevalence of celiac disease attracts increasingly greater attention of researchers. The study of its extraintestinal manifestations is a crucial task for early and timely diagnosis of the disease, as well as the identification of new risk groups. To date, there are only isolated publications concerning the study of celiac disease incidence in patients with acne. 

This topic is of particular interest since systemic retinoids with a hepatotoxic effect and antibiotics significantly affecting the intestinal microflora are the first-line drugs in the treatment of moderate and severe acne. Undoubtedly, these side effects influence on the course of acne in celiac patients. So, to prevent the complications of the treatment, it is necessary to search, develop and introduce into practice safe combinations, including drugs having a protective effect both for the intestinal microflora and for the liver. It is known that psyllium (Plantago ovata seed shells/Ispaghula husks) have similar effects.

Objective. To study the effect of psyllium on the tolerability and effectiveness of systemic therapy with isotretinoin and doxycycline in patients with moderate acne with celiac disease. Material and methods. We examined 65 patients with celiac disease suffering from moderate acne, who were randomized into two groups – group 1 (taking an antibiotic – doxycycline) and group 2 (taking a systemic retinoid – isotretinoin), then each group was divided into two subgroups A and B, depending on the prebiotic intake (powder of oval plantain seeds shells Plantago ovata Forssk (psyllium). The patients were followed up for 8 and 24 weeks, respectively. All patients received adjuvant topical therapy. In each group, a medical check-up was done before treatment, 2 months after the onset and then after the treatment completion.

Conclusion. Patients in both subgroups who received psyllium in addition to antibiotics and systemic retinoids treatment showed better results after treatment in terms of skin condition, overall health and quality of life.