The Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on Serum Glutathione Peroxidase Levels and Severity of Acne Vulgaris

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to study the effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation on serum glutathioneperoxidase (GSH‑Px) levels and the severity of acne vulgaris (AV). Methods: A double‑blind randomized controlled trial was carried out on36 patients with AV classified according to severity. These patients were randomly divided into two groups (treatment group = 18 patientstreated with tretinoin 0.025% cream and once‑daily supplementation with a CoQ10 100 mg tablet; placebo group = 18 patients treated withtretinoin 0.025% cream and a once‑daily placebo tablet). Blood samples were taken from a vein and examined by enzyme‑linked immunosorbentassay. The study period was 8 weeks. Response to treatment was determined based on serum GSH‑Px level and AV severity. The study used apre‑ and post‑test design for the two groups. The data were processed with SPSS for Windows version 25. Results: Administration of CoQ10to AV significantly improved the severity of AV after 8 weeks compared to a placebo (P = 0.008). Serum GSH‑Px levels after treatment withCoQ10 increase higher in the study than control group, but the statistical test result showed not significant in the study group (P = 0.3) andalso control group (P = 0.07). Conclusion: CoQ10 supplementation may increase serum GSH‑Px levels and improve the severity of AV, butthere was no relationship between serum GSH‑Px levels and the severity of AV.