Data from: Antibiotic susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes isolated from patients with acne in a public hospital in Southwest China: prospective cross-sectional study

Objective Antibiotics have been routinely used for several
decades against Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), but
antibiotic resistance of P. acnes is becoming a global
problem. Only one related Chinese study is available. The aim of this
study was to assess the antibiotic susceptibility of P.
acnes obtained from patients with acne in Southwest China.
Design This was a prospective cross-sectional study. Cutaneous
samples were obtained from acne lesions on the face of 375 patients.
Samples were cultured in anaerobic medium to identify the presence
of P. acnes. Susceptibility tests of isolated P.
acnes were performed for tetracycline, doxycycline, clindamycin,
erythromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin using the Epsilometer test.
Results P. acnes was isolated from 227 patients; 224
isolates (98.7%) were susceptible to doxycycline and 220 (96.9%) were
susceptible to tetracycline, followed by clindamycin and clarithromycin in
101 (44.5%) and 102 (44.93%) isolates, respectively. Susceptibility
of P. acnes was detected for erythromycin in 96 (42.3%)
patients, followed by azithromycin in 94 (41.4%). Subjects who received
antibiotics (topical and oral) had higher frequencies of
antibiotic-resistant P. acnes as well as increased
antibiotic minimum inhibitory concentrations compared with patients
without antibiotic treatment. Conclusions P. acnes was
highly sensitive to cyclines (doxycycline and tetracycline). P.
acnes showed higher resistance rates to
macrolides–lincosamides–streptogramins antibiotics (such as erythromycin,
azithromycin, clarithromycin and clindamycin). The irrational use of
antibiotics for acne treatment is probably a problem in China and
elsewhere. These results suggest that dermatologists should be more
prudent in prescribing antibiotics for acne.