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quote: Azithromycin versus tetracycline in the treatment of acne vulgaris.Acne vulgaris affects a large number of young adults and often presents with facial and truncal involvement. Systemic antibiotics are used for the treatment of papulopustular and cystic lesions.We sought to determine the efficacy and safety of azithromycin versus tetracycline in the treatment of acne vulgaris.A randomized, investigator-blind, clinical trial was carried out for 3 months at the outpatient clinic of Emam Khomeini University Hospital, Ahwaz, Iran. A total of 290 patients with moderate to severe papulopustular acne vulgaris were allocated to two groups, azithromycin and tetracycline, for 3 months of treatment. Azithromycin 500 mg was prescribed for 3 consecutive days a week for 1 month and then 250 mg every other day for the following 2 months. Tetracycline 1 g was similarly prescribed: daily for 1 month and then 500 mg daily for the following 2 months.Both antibiotics were effective in reducing inflammatory lesions and improving acne. Azithromycin produced a slightly higher percentage of improvement compared with tetracycline (100 cases/84.7% vs 94 cases/79.7%). Conclusion: Azithromycin is a safe and effective alternative in the treatment of inflammatory acne....from a recent report by iranian researchers: Rafiei R, Yaghoobi R. in: J Dermatolog Treat. 2006;17(4):217-21.
quote:Serum levels of vitamin D metabolites in isotretinoin-treated acne patients...We found a significant fall in the level of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (p less than 0.01)......early changes in the metabolism of vitamin D in patients on retinoid treatment.by Rodland O. et al. in Acta Derm. Venereol.1992;72(3):217-9.
quote:Seasonal variations in the severity of acne vulgaris...The improvement of acne in summertime or the aggravation of acne in winter is a traditional dermatologic opinion. Ultraviolet rays are thought to be beneficial in the treatment of acne. In the existing literature there is no proof of this. The purpose of this study was to find out whether or not acne generally worsens in winter. One hundred and thirty-nine patients were asked if their acne worsens in winter or in summertime, whether it improves seasonally, or if they didn't notice any change with the seasons.About one-third of the patients reported an aggravation of their acne in winter, but also approximately one-third of the patients complained about an aggravation of their acne in summer. Another third did not notice any change.CONCLUSIONS: Sun-bathing may be beneficial for psychologic reasons and may produce euphoric effects, but we do not see any reason to treat acne with ultraviolet radiation because of all its negative effects on the skin.from: Gfesser M and Worret WI Int.J.Dermatol.1996 Feb;35(2):116-7.