Abstract

Taurine bromamine (TauBr), the product of taurine and hypobromous acid (HOBr), exerts anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Recently we have shown that Propionibacterium acnes, a potential pathogenic agent of acne, is extremely sensitive to TauBr. As topical antibiotics are associated with the emergence of resistant bacteria, TauBr seems to be a good candidate for topical therapy for acne vulgaris. In our double blind investigation, the efficacy and safety of 3.5 mM TauBr cream was evaluated. 1% Clindamycin gel (Clindacin T), one of the most common topical agents in the treatment of acne vulgaris, was used as a control. Forty patients with mild to moderate inflammatory facial acne vulgaris were randomly treated with either TauBr or clindamycin for 6 weeks, twice-a-day. More than 80% of the patients markedly improved with both treatments, without any adverse effects observed. Both TauBr and clindamycin produced a significant reduction in inflammatory skin lesion counts (papules/ pustules). After 6 weeks, comparable reductions of acne lesions, 65% and 68%, were observed in the TauBr and clindamycin groups, respectively. In conclusion, these data support our concept that TauBr can be used as a topical agent in the treatment of acne vulgaris, especially in patients who have already developed antibiotic resistance.