Effect of cyproterone acetate-ethinyl estradiol treatment on the proportions of linoleic and sebaleic acids in various skin surface lipid classes.

The effect of high-dose cyproterone acetate-ethinyl estradiol treatment on rates of sebum secretion and on the proportions of linoleic acid (18:2 delta 9,12) and sebaleic acid (18:2 delta 5,8) in the skin surface lipids of three female acne patients was examined. Changes in rates of sebum secretion were evaluated indirectly by measuring the ratio of wax esters/(cholesterol + cholesterol esters) in the subjects' skin surface lipid. In two of the subjects, this ratio indicated a reduction of sebum secretion rates to the childhood range. Concomitantly, there was an increase in linoleic acid and a decrease in sebaleic acid in all lipid classes. In the third subject, in whom there was only a small reduction in sebum secretion rate, the proportion of linoleic acid in the cholesterol esters more than doubled, but the changes in the other lipid classes were small or nonexistent. The results indicate that the proportions of linoleic acid and sebaleic acid in sebum are influenced by sebum secretion rates.