ABSTRACT
The androgenic provoked stimulation of sebum production plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of acne. Although numerous factors contribute to the development of acne, the requirement for androgens is absolute (1). Thiboutot et al. (2) and Fritsch et al. (3) demonstrated that human skin is indeed a steroidogenic tissue. The skin functions as an independent peripheral endocrine organ (4) expressing all the enzymes necessary for androgen synthesis and catabolism. It can synthesize cholesterol from acetate and can further metabolize steroids such as dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate into potent androgens such as testosterone and DHT. DHT itself further induces enzymes such as 3a-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (5).
