Abstract

Aim: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic, and effective drug treatments for COVID-19 remain unavailable. Isotretinoin (ISO), a retinoic acid derivative commonly used for severe acne, is a potent down-regulator of ACE2 receptors, which play a key role in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. This study aims to investigate the effect of ISO treatment on COVID-19 infection in patients with acne vulgaris.

Materials and Methods: Between January 2021 and April 2021, 520 ISO users with acne vulgaris and 400 controls were included in the study. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire distributed via social media, e-mail and mobile phones.

Results: Among ISO users, 66 (12.7%) had COVID-19 compared to 89 (22.3%) in the control group, indicating a significantly lower infection rate in the ISO group (p <0.001). The risk of COVID-19 infection was 1.76 times higher in the control group. COVID-19 rates decreased steadily during the first three months of ISO treatment, particularly at the 20 mg/day dose. However, loss of smell and taste was more common in the ISO group than in controls.

Conclusion: In this cross-sectional survey, isotretinoin use was associated with lower self-reported COVID-19 prevalence.

Keywords: ACE2 receptor, acne, COVID-19, isotretinoin, off-label use

Copyright and license

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open-access article published by Bolu İzzet Baysal Training and Research Hospital under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite

1.
Yasak Güner R, Kayhan M, Tosun M, Ünsal AT, İnce AT, Erguvanlı V. Self-reported COVID-19 prevalence among isotretinoin users vs. non-users: a cross-sectional survey. Northwestern Med J. 2025;5(4):234-9. https://doi.org/10.54307/2025.NWMJ.185

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