A new study conducted by the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), showed that vitamin B12 is able to activate the genes of bacteria that live in the skin of healthy people and are responsible for the development of acne.

Vitamin B12 is a vital water-soluble vitamin, which is present in some foods.

He is also a regulator of his own mechanism of biosynthesis in bacteria. Such bacteria as Propionibacterium acnes can synthesize B12 for their own needs.

Experts from the National Institutes of Health of the United States (NIH) argue that the human body needs to supply vitamin B12 from the outside for the maturation of red blood cells, the work of nerve cells and the synthesis of DNA. According to the recommendations of the Mayo Clinic, the daily requirement for vitamin B12 in people over 14 years of age is 2.4 micrograms.

California researchers were interested in how gene expression differs in the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes in the skin of healthy people and patients with acne.

Scientists know that the biosynthesis of vitamin B12 in Propionibacterium acnes is closely related to another process - the biosynthesis of porphyrins. They suggested that with an increased level of B12, the synthesis of porphyrins in these bacteria is enhanced, which can lead to inflammation and aggravation of acne.

"Inflammation is one of the factors of acne. There are also non-inflammatory, mild forms of acne. A severe course of acne usually involves an intense inflammatory process, "explains lead author Huiying Li, a professor of molecular and clinical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Scientists have conducted two separate studies. In the first, they compared the biosynthesis of vitamin B12 in 13 patients with acne and 20 healthy volunteers. The average age of participants was 24.8 years. The following factors were taken into account: gender, age, nationality.

In a second study, which included 10 volunteers receiving injections of vitamin B12, the researchers determined the expression of bacterial genes before and after taking the vitamin. Participants received daily 1 ml of a standard 0.05% solution of B12 - this is significantly more than a person receives with food.

One healthy participant after a week of injections of B12 suddenly developed acne, which confirmed previous reports of exacerbation of acne on the background of treatment with vitamin B12.

Genetic analysis shows that against the background of such treatment in Propionibacterium acnes the synthesis of porphyrins, capable of causing inflammation.

Dr. Li says that this discovery will create fundamentally new anti-acne medications that will target porphyrin synthesis in Propionibacterium acnes. But the main thing for today is another conclusion: people who suffer from acne should avoid taking vitamin B12, except when it is really necessary.

The results of Dr. Li's study were published in Science Translational Medicine.

medbe. en.