Park YJ, Shin HY, Choi WK, Lee AY, Lee SH, Hong JS. Optimal laboratory testing protocol for patients with acne taking oral isotretinoin. World J Clin Cases 2023; 11(11): 2435-2442 [PMID: 37123305 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i11.2435]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jong Soo Hong, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, 27, Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Goyang 10326, South Korea. jsttjstt@hanmail.net
Research Domain of This Article
Dermatology
Article-Type of This Article
Retrospective Study
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Apr 16, 2023; 11(11): 2435-2442 Published online Apr 16, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i11.2435
Optimal laboratory testing protocol for patients with acne taking oral isotretinoin
Yu Jeong Park, Hui Young Shin, Woo Kyoung Choi, Ai-Young Lee, Seung Ho Lee, Jong Soo Hong
Yu Jeong Park, Hui Young Shin, Woo Kyoung Choi, Ai-Young Lee, Seung Ho Lee, Jong Soo Hong, Department of Dermatology, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang 10326, South Korea
Author contributions: Park YJ, the first author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Shin HY and Choi WK participated in the data collection; Lee SH and Lee AY reviewed and edited the manuscript; Hong JS was the corresponding author and designed the study; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported bythe Dongguk University Research Program (2021).
Institutional review board statement: The Institutional Review Board of Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital approved this study (IRB No. DUIH 2022-05-002).
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Data sharing statement: All data related to this study are presented in this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jong Soo Hong, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, 27, Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Goyang 10326, South Korea. jsttjstt@hanmail.net
Received: January 5, 2023 Peer-review started: January 5, 2023 First decision: January 30, 2023 Revised: February 7, 2023 Accepted: March 23, 2023 Article in press: March 23, 2023 Published online: April 16, 2023 Processing time: 91 Days and 4.7 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Isotretinoin is a widely prescribed drug for various dermatological conditions, especially acne. Blood tests are routinely performed to monitor its side effects. However, the optimal testing schedule remains controversial.
AIM
To evaluate the laboratory monitoring tests and schedules of patients with acne taking isotretinoin to determine the most efficient testing regimen.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records from the Dermatology Department of Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital from 2005 to 2020 for patients prescribed isotretinoin for acne who underwent monthly blood tests.
RESULTS
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and triglyceride (TG) levels significantly changed between 5 and 6 mo when the total prescription period and dose variables were considered altogether. The high-density lipoprotein level also significantly changed between 5 and 6 mo. However, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol levels significantly changed between 1 and 2 mo.
CONCLUSION
We recommend testing AST, ALT, and TG levels once every 5 to 6 mo. We also suggest testing LDL and total cholesterol levels during the first and second months.
Core Tip: Isotretinoin is a widely prescribed drug for various dermatological conditions, especially acne. Blood tests are routinely performed to monitor its side effects. However, the optimal testing schedule remains controversial. This study investigated the optimal blood test type and frequency for patients taking isotretinoin for acne. This article will contribute to Asian-specific isotretinoin laboratory guidelines and further studies.
