Antibiotic resistance in acne: changes, consequences and concerns
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance in acne was first observed in the 1970s and has been a major concern in dermatology since the 1980s. The resistance rates and types of antimicrobials have subsequently shown great variations in regions and countries. Illustrative of this is the resistance to topical erythromycin and clindamycin which continues to be a problem worldwide, while resistance to systemic treatment with tetracyclines has remained low during the past decade. The resistance for the newer macrolides like azithromycin and clarithromycin has been increasing. The results of antibiotic resistance may include treatment failure of acne, disturbance of skin microbiota, induction of opportunistic pathogens locally and systemically, and dissemination of resistant strains to both healthcare personnel and the general population. The ensuing complications, such as aggravated opportunistic infections caused by Propionibacterium acnes and the emergence of multiresistant superbugs, have not yet been confirmed.
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To prevent the development of resistance, antibiotic monotherapy is not recommended.
“To prevent the development of resistance, antibiotic monotherapy is not recommended [2, 35].”
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- Authors
- Karadag, A. S., Aslan Kayıran, M., Wu, C. ‐., Chen, W., & Parish, L. C.
- Affiliations
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology School of Medicine Istanbul Medeniyet University, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital Istanbul Turkey
- Kaohsiung Medical University (TW)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (TW)
- Thomas Jefferson University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-06-26
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 73-78
- ISSN
- 0926-9959 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-3083
- OpenAlex
- W3031272540
- Cited by
- 91
- References
- 77
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 7
- FWCI
- 2.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Acne and Rosacea Treatments and Effects
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology › Antibiotic Use and Resistance
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Medicine › Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Keywords
- antibiotic resistance, acne, Propionibacterium acnes, topical erythromycin, topical clindamycin, tetracycline, macrolides, azithromycin, clarithromycin, skin microbiome, opportunistic infections, multidrug resistance, treatment failure
- MeSH terms
- Acne Vulgaris, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Clindamycin, Drug Resistance, Microbial, Humans, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Propionibacterium acnes, Drug Resistance, Bacterial
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