399 | id == 399
399 | category_id == 24
399 | category_order == 21
399 | category_name == Acne
399 | category_color == #C47AC0
399 | slug == mmp2-acne
399 | title == A Matrix Protein That Greatly Increases Your Risk of Acne (MMP2)
399 | meta_description == Variants of MMP2 are associated with acne. Click here for some diet and gene-based tips!
399 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify">The MMP2 gene codes for a protein that reduces inflammation by cleaving certain immune cells. Some rare variants have a greatly increased risk of acne. Do you carry one of these variants? Read on to find out.</p>
399 | overall_score_text == Your Acne Score (based on MMP2)
399 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/MMP2-Acne.jpg
399 | author_id == 15
399 | author_name == John Williams
399 | author_title == B.Sc
399 | author_order == 3987
399 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/sinan_pic.png
399 | author_intro == <p>John received his BSc from the University of Toronto.&nbsp;John has spent the last several years teaching high school science and math to English-language learners, which has forced him to learn how to simplify difficult concepts as much as possible. He has also worked in two different research labs and has experience as a student intern working and studying under doctors in hospitals and clinics to help diagnose and treat patients, interpret lab results and fill out mountains of paperwork.</p>
399 | reviewer == None
399 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
399 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
399 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
399 | publish_date == 2020
399 | publish_date == 10
399 | publish_date == 9
399 | avg_rating == 5.0
399 | tags_id == 774
399 | tags_name == Acne
399 | tags_id == 416
399 | tags_name == Cortisol
399 | tags_id == 806
399 | tags_name == MMP2 Gene
399 | tags_id == 50
399 | tags_name == Stress
399 | permissions_favorite == False
399 | permissions_rate == False
399 | 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;">MMP2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes matrix metalloproteinase-2, a protein that reduces inflammation. Variants that produce less </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MMP2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> will have higher levels of other inflammation-causing immune cells, increasing the risk of acne. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by restoring normal MMP2 levels or by decreasing inflammation.</span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>MMP2</em> and Acne</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/mmp2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MMP2</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene codes for matrix metalloproteinase 2, a protein that reduces inflammation in your body by cutting and inactivating a number of different immune cells. Inflammation is when an area of your body feels big, hot and red and is one of the symptoms of acne. Variants that produce less MMP2 will therefore have greater inflammation and a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with acne [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6457294/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your <em>MMP2</em> Results for Acne</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*1563398170812107*</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Primary SNP: [</strong><strong><em>MMP2</em></strong><strong>] </strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs243865/"><strong>rs243865</strong></a></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = associated with increased odds of acne</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = no association with acne</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;TT&rsquo; variant is extremely uncommon, occurring in only 2.8% of the population. However, one study found that the &lsquo;T&rsquo; variant increases your risk of acne by about 3.5 times compared to the &lsquo;C&rsquo; variant. The researchers could not determine if &lsquo;TT&rsquo; was worse than &lsquo;CT&rsquo; because the &lsquo;TT&rsquo; variant was so rare [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6457294/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*8514745345170756*</strong></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Recommendations for Improving Acne</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*9001454420142929*</strong></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Reduce stress</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Glucocorticoids like cortisol, the &lsquo;</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/factors-counteract-stress-response/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rsquo; hormone, can cause levels of MMP2 to go down. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, low levels of cortisol are associated with high MMP2 levels. As a result, it is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">a good idea to keep your stress levels low where possible [</span><a href="http://pni.osumc.edu/stressandhealth/KG%20Publications%20(pdf)/155.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10734001/"><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;">Multiple studies have found an association between acne severity and high stress. One study found that relaxation therapy over a six week period significantly reduced acne symptoms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A different acne-related study found that high levels of stress were associated with slower wound healing [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17340019/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12873885/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6224928/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10232300/"><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;">Stress appears to make acne worse and so reducing it where possible may provide a benefit.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Diet &amp; Supplements</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Zinc</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">MMP2 requires </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/literally-everything-wanted-know-zinc-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">zinc</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in order to function properly. It is therefore important to prevent your zinc levels from dropping too much. Studies have suggested that low zinc levels seem to be associated with increased acne severity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6457294/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4135093/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23826827/"><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;">Most zinc in the Western diet comes from red meat and chicken. As a result, you are probably already getting the recommended amount of zinc in your diet if you are a meat-eater. If you are a vegeterian or vegan, consume zinc-fortified breakfast cereals, pumpkin seeds, and baked beans [</span><a href="http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional"><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;">If you can&rsquo;t obtain enough zinc from a balanced diet, consider taking a supplement. A number of clinical trials suggest that taking <a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/literally-everything-wanted-know-zinc-backed-science/">zinc</a> supplements (zinc sulfate or zinc gluconate) may improve acne [<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11586012/">R</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2575335/">R</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/82356/">R</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6163281/">R</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/137693/">R</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/146511/">R</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20666829/">R</a>]. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Low zinc levels are associated with more severe acne; make sure you are getting enough from your diet and/or supplements.</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>N-acetylcysteine (NAC)</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">After MMP2 activity in cancer cells was decreased using arsenic trioxide, adding </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/nac-top-43-science-based-health-benefits-n-acetyl-cysteine-nac/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">N-acetylcysteine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> caused the MMP2 levels to return to normal [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21540248/"><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;">Another study showed that a 5% NAC gel applied directly onto the skin was able to improve mild to moderate acne [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23346662/"><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;">Topical N-acetylcysteine may improve acne by targeting your MMP2 variant.</span></p>
399 | content_snp_table_1563398170812107_key == 1563398170812107
399 | content_snp_table_1563398170812107_blur == True
399 | content_snp_table_1563398170812107_hidden == False
399 | content_learn_more_8514745345170756_key == 8514745345170756
399 | content_learn_more_8514745345170756_blur == True
399 | content_learn_more_8514745345170756_hidden == False
399 | content_learn_more_8514745345170756_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your MMP2 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. Stress reduction, zinc, and N-acetylcysteine may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
399 | content_recommendation_9001454420142929_key == 9001454420142929
399 | content_recommendation_9001454420142929_blur == True
399 | content_recommendation_9001454420142929_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs243865
rsStatus = rs243865,MMP2,chr16,55477894,C,T,,,38,0,Normal
