Familial risk of acne vulgaris in 8-13 year-old females: A case-control study

Background: Acne vulgaris has a multifactorial pathogenesis; however, the exact role of genetic predisposition is not clear. Some studies have reported an association between familiy historyof acne and moderate to severe acne. In this study, we investigated the relationship between familiy history and prevalence of acne vulgaris in girls 8 to 13 years of age. Methods: This case-control study enrolled 400 students. The participants were divided into two groups, case and control, with 200 students per group. The case group consisted of students with acne vulgaris and the control group included those without acne. The severity of acne was determined based on the Global Acne Grading Score (GAGS). The presence of acne in close relatives (father, mother, sister, brother) was determined through face to face interviews with participants’ mothers and phone contacts with other family members. All collected data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: The case participants had a mean age of 10.62±1.71 years and those in the control group had a mean age of 10.54±1.70 years, which was not statistically significant. The mothers with acne vulgaris had the highest odds ratio (OR: 2.719, 95% CI: 1.788-4.133) between the case and the control groups. The ratio of encountering the probability with both parents developing acne vulgaris between the two groups was 2.346 (95% CI: 1.571-3.503). Conclusion: This study revealed a significant relationship between positive familial history of acne and prevalence of acne vulgaris.