Rosacea is a chronic inflammation of the skin occurring mainly on the face. This disease affects about 14 million Americans, mostly between the ages of 30 and 60, according to the National Institutes of Health. If left untreated, the disorder can worsen over time. Research into the role of abnormal peptides as a trigger in skin inflammation in rosacea-prone individuals has led to a search for new and highly targeted treatments of this disease.
Rosacea
Women, particularly during and after the age of menopause, those with fair skin and those who blush easily appear to be more likely to develop rosacea. The inflammation often begins as flushed skin on the face, eventually turning into permanent redness of the nose, cheeks, forehead and chin. Other symptoms include dilated blood vessels, which appear as small red lines on the face, and small acne-like bumps and pustules. In more severe cases, a condition called rhinophyma causes an enlarged and puffy nose. Inflammation can also spread to the eyes, causing irritation, grittiness and burning, potentially leading to impaired vision.
Skin Peptides
Normal skin produces antimicrobial peptides, enzymes that in effect form a “chemical shield” to protect the skin. These peptides fend off dangerous bacteria and also have antiviral and antifungal properties. One particular antimicrobial peptide, cathelicidin, protects the skin both directly through germ-fighting activity and indirectly by initiating an immune system response.
Abnormal Peptide Production
Research by dermatologist Richard Gallo of the University of California-San Diego in 2007 showed that individuals with rosacea produce both an abnormal form of and an unusually high amount of cathelicidin. Gallo’s studies showed that rosacea patients also had much higher than normal levels of SCTE, or stratum corneum tryptic enzymes. Experiments in mice revealed that having too many of these abnormal peptides triggers the body’s immune system to create an inflammatory response. This inflammation is the source of rosacea symptoms such as enlarged blood vessels and pimples.
Improved Treatment
Understanding the role that skin peptides play in prompting symptoms of inflammation may lead to newer and better treatments for rosacea. Doctors have traditionally treated this disease with topical or oral antibiotics to fight bacteria, which sometimes helps inhibit the enzymes behind the disease. Gallo predicts that his research will lead to more targeted treatments that work by preventing production of the abnormal antimicrobial peptides that lead to rosacea inflammation in the first place. As of July 2011, a clinical trial using aminocaproic acid, a substance that halts the activation of anticrobial peptides in the skin, was underway on rosacea patients.
References
- National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - Rosacea
- Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology; "Antimicrobial Peptides and the Skin Immune Defense System"; Jurgen Schauber et al.; Apr. 25, 2008
- Science Daily; "Cause of Skin Condition Rosacea Discovered"; Aug. 7, 2007
- Rosacea Support Group; "Gallo to trial Aminocaproic Acid as Cathelicidin Inhibitor"; David Pascoe; July 21, 2011
