Role of Vitamin D and Its Topical Analogues in Pathogenesis and Treatment of Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is a chronic skin disease of the pilosebaceous unit characterized by formation of papules, pustules, comedones, nodules and cysts. It can have a major psychological burden on the patients. It develops due to blockage of the hair follicles. This is thought to occur as a result of the following four abnormal processes: a higher than normal amount of sebum production, excessive deposition of keratin leading to comedo formation, hair follicles' colonization by Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) and the local release of pro-inflammatory mediators. Androgens also play a role in pathogenesis either from elevated levels or exacerbated response