Bacteriological isolation of Cutibacterium acne in clinical isolates from Acne vulgaris patients

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common inflammatory skin conditions and it is clinically characterized by the formation of comedones, papules, pustules, cysts in facial T-zone, sometimes on the back and neck. Cutibacterium acne (C. acne) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Acne vulgaris, therefore, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapies are widely used to relieve the symptoms of the disease. The aim of the study is to compare the antibacterial susceptibility of C. acnes against clindamycin and erythromycin. The patient's skin condition was assessed by a dermatovenerologist. Clinical speciment in the Acne vulgaris (A) group was obtained by squeezing the contents of the pustule and were transported in AMIES transport medium to the laboratory within 2 hours. Acquisition of material in the control (K) group was performed similarly, comedone content is obtained, AMIES medium was used to transport sample to the laboratory. Samples were cultivated on a combined Mueller - Hinton solid medium under anaerobic conditions for 5 days at 370C and after cultivation identified by Vitek2 ANC ID cards. Antibacterial susceptibility was determined using commercial e-tests of clindamycin and erythromycin. Pustular samples were obtained from 56 patients with acne vulgaris and 10 control patients, of whom 49 were female and 17 were male. In group A group, 28 C. acnes samples were isolated. In the control group, C. acnes were isolated in 10 samples. Study participants used topical antibacterial agents:  clindamycin 5 (7.6%), erythromycin 3 (4.5%), none 14 (21.2%), or 44 (66.7%). Resistance to clindamycin was observed in 8 cases (12.1%), erythromycin 9 (13.6%), tetracycline 2 (3.0%). More C. acnes were found in the control patient samples than in the Acne vulgaris group. Acnes vulgaris patients show higher resistance to clindamycin and erythromycin than the control group.