385 | id == 385
385 | category_id == 24
385 | category_order == 21
385 | category_name == Acne
385 | category_color == #C47AC0
385 | slug == IL4R-acne
385 | title == A Gene Linking Bacteria, Inflammation, and Acne (IL4R)
385 | meta_description == IL4R is involved in inflammation. A variant of IL4R has been associated with acne. Read more here.
385 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>The <em>IL4R </em>gene codes for part of a receptor that may be involved in the excess production of sebum, an oily substance linked to the growth of bacteria and heightened inflammation. A variant of <em>IL4R </em>has been associated with the development of acne. Read more to learn about this association, and about recommendations you may follow to mitigate the negative effects of this variant.&nbsp;</strong></p>
385 | overall_score_text == Your Acne Score (based on IL4R gene)
385 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/IL-4-IL-4R-Acne.jpg
385 | author_id == 14
385 | author_name == Shany Lahan
385 | author_title == MS (Neuroscience)
385 | author_order == 5
385 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Shany.webp
385 | author_intro == <p>Shany received her MSc in Neuroscience from Western University.</p>    <p>Prior to joining SelfDecode, Shany conducted research related to Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, and taught science to undergraduate students. She believes that research should be accessible to everyone, regardless of scientific background. Shany joined SelfDecode&nbsp;with a mission to help others optimize their health and wellbeing &ndash; as well as help them understand the science behind it all.</p>
385 | reviewer == None
385 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
385 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
385 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
385 | publish_date == 2020
385 | publish_date == 10
385 | publish_date == 6
385 | avg_rating == 5.0
385 | tags_id == 784
385 | tags_name == Cutibacterium acnes
385 | tags_id == 782
385 | tags_name == IL4
385 | tags_id == 781
385 | tags_name == IL4R Gene
385 | tags_id == 24
385 | tags_name == Inflammation
385 | tags_id == 783
385 | tags_name == Sebum
385 | permissions_favorite == False
385 | permissions_rate == False
385 | content_article == <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL4R </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">codes for</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">a receptor that binds the immune system messenger IL4. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL4R </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">may play a role in acne by promoting inflammation within skin pores. Diet and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by reducing inflammation.</span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>IL4R</em> and Acne</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/il4r/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL4R </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> codes for part of a receptor that can bind either IL4 or IL13, two types of immune system messengers (cytokines) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3566"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL4R can be found on the surface of immune system cells, where binding by IL4 or IL13 can regulate inflammatory responses via the release of certain proteins. For example, IL4R can stimulate T helper cells to release cytokines that can alter the activity and targets of other immune system cells [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10358772/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL4R may also play a role in the development of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/everything-need-know-acne/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">acne</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Specifically, IL4 (via IL4R) has been suggested to be involved in the excess production of sebum, an oily substance that can be found in skin pores. Sebum provides an ideal living and growth environment for the bacterium </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cutibacterium acnes</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which can elicit inflammation and is often linked to acne development [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12592074/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31127384/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not surprisingly, variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL4R </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">have been associated with acne. While the mechanism is currently unknown, it&rsquo;s possible that these variants may increase activity of IL4R, leading to an increase in sebum production, excessive growth of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cutibacterium acnes</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, heightened inflammatory responses, and acne formation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6081023/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your <em>IL4R</em> Results for Acne</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*4474172751147742*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Primary SNP: </strong><strong><em>IL4R </em></strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs1801275/"><strong>rs1801275</strong></a></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Increased risk of acne</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Decreased risk of acne&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;">*3127367424579743*</p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Recommendations for Improving Acne</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*8204427779248655*</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Diet</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Green Tea (EGCG)</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2 clinical trials, drinking decaffeinated </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">green tea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> daily for 4 weeks reduced acne on the nose, chin, and around the mouth [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27062963/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23096708/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Green tea contains the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers experimenting on cells found that EGCG can inhibit the production of sebum, suppress the growth of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cutibacterium acnes</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and reduce inflammation. In the same study, EGCG was found to significantly reduce acne in humans [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23096708/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Ingesting green tea (EGCG) may improve acne by inhibiting the production of sebum, suppressing the growth of <em>Cutibacterium acnes</em>, and reducing inflammation.&nbsp;</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Tea Tree Oil</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/tea-tree-oil-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tea tree oil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may be able to reduce inflammation by killing a variety of acne-causing microscopic organisms, including </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cutibacterium acnes</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Moreover, it was observed to kill a number of bacterial strains that may cause antibiotic-resistant acne [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5435909/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4132408/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6933203/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diluted tea tree oil applied to the skin (topical) reduced the severity of mild-to-moderate acne in 3 clinical trials. One of the formulations was as effective as a conventional medication for acne, although it appeared to work at a slower rate [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17314442?dopt=Abstract"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2145499?dopt=Abstract"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27000386/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, herbal formulas containing tea tree oil were found to be as effective as conventional treatments in 2 studies [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31012999/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6298394/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tea tree oil is very potent and can cause redness and irritation when applied undiluted to the skin, but is safe when diluted with a carrier oil, such as grapeseed oil. Note that tea tree oil is unsafe when ingested [</span><a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/health/tea/treeoil.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Diluted tea tree oil applied to the skin may improve acne by killing <em>Cutibacterium acnes</em> and reducing inflammation.</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Hemp Seed Oil</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A cream containing 3% </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/hemp-seeds/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">hemp seed</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> oil lowered the production of sebum and skin redness, suggesting that it may help treat acne [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26142529/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In test tubes, hemp seed extract was observed to kill </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cutibacterium acnes</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and reduce inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6110517/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Hemp seed oil applied to the skin may improve acne by lowering the production of sebum, killing <em>Cutibacterium acnes</em>, and reducing inflammation.</span></p>
385 | content_snp_table_4474172751147742_key == 4474172751147742
385 | content_snp_table_4474172751147742_blur == True
385 | content_snp_table_4474172751147742_hidden == False
385 | content_learn_more_3127367424579743_key == 3127367424579743
385 | content_learn_more_3127367424579743_blur == True
385 | content_learn_more_3127367424579743_hidden == False
385 | content_learn_more_3127367424579743_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your IL4R gene makes you somewhat more likely to develop acne. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of acne; it’s just one gene related to it. Green tea (EGCG), tea tree oil, and hemp seed oil may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
385 | content_recommendation_8204427779248655_key == 8204427779248655
385 | content_recommendation_8204427779248655_blur == True
385 | content_recommendation_8204427779248655_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs1801275
rsStatus = rs1801275,IL4R,chr16,27363079,A,G,T,,39,0,Normal
