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A Role for Propionibacterium acnes in the Production of Inflammatory Lesions in Acne Vulgaris

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Skin Microbiology

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a two-stage disease. The first stage involves the formation of a comedo, an impaction and distension of the sebaceous follicle by a horny mass containing sebum, hair, and bacteria. Some comedones progress no farther, while others, mainly closed comedones, evolve into angry, potentially disfiguring inflammatory lesions.7 It is not known why only some comedones become inflammatory lesions (papules, pustules, and nodules), but the stimulus for the inflammation, when it occurs, is increasingly clear.

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Authors
  1. Guy F. Webster
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of California, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA

    Howard I. Maibach M.D. (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Department of Dermatology, Department of Microbiology, University of California, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA

    Raza Aly Ph.D. (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

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© 1981 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

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Webster, G.F. (1981). A Role for Propionibacterium acnes in the Production of Inflammatory Lesions in Acne Vulgaris. In: Maibach, H.I., Aly, R. (eds) Skin Microbiology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5868-1_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5868-1_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-5870-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-5868-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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