Effect of Soy Isoflavones on the Improvement of Acne Vulgaris Severity by Reducing Tumor Necrosis Factor- Levels

Objective: To demonstrate the effect of soy isoflavone on acne vulgaris (AV) severity by reducing tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-) in female patients. Methods: In this study was a clinical study with randomized controled group pretest-posttest design. 40 patients were randomized into 2 groups: soy isoflavones 160 mg/day and control. The duration of this study was 12 weeks. The dependent variable: AV severity, and the intermediate variable: TNF-level. Results: AV severity before treatment (p = 1.00) and after treatment (p = 0.001). TNF-α before treatment (p = 0.213) and after treatment (p = 0.001). There was a significant correlation between the severity of AV and TNF-α(r=0.75)( p=0.009). Conclusion: Treatment with soy isoflavones 160 mg / day for 12 weeks can improve the degree of AV severity as a result of a decrease in TNF-α.