srjcmsSRJCMSSRJCMS2788-8851https://doi.org/10.47310/srjcms.2022.v02i02.010Molecular Characterization of Cutibacterium Acnes Isolated from Acne Vulgaris Patients in Kirkuk CityAvanMohammedKareemAgharid.A.Al-RasheedAhmedAbdul-AzizBackground: Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is aerotolerant and grows slowly under anaerobic conditions. Aim: The aim of this study to isolate and identify Cutibacterium acnes in Acne Vulgaris Patients through polymerase chain reaction and its antibiotic sensitivity. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at the laboratory of the college of Veterinary Medicine for the period from first of October, 2021 to May 2022. The sample of this study consisted of collecting skin swabs from 90 patients who had acne vulgaris and attending dermatology private clinics in the Kirkuk city/ Iraq, for isolating and identifying Cutibacterium acnes. In order to collect the samples from a skin lesion, cotton swabs made of sterile cotton were used. In the clinic, the lesion was opened under aseptic conditions and then placed under the same conditions in a Thioglycolate medium tube. The growing bacteria were diagnosed based on their color, shape and size, edge, height, and whether or not they catalase production. In addition, secondary cultures were done for antibiotic sensitivity tests as well as molecular detection of C.acnes using PA primer and various virulence factors including hemolysis and lipase activity by polymerase chain reaction. Results: In the present study, five antibiotics were chosen to perform the susceptibility tests by disc diffusion assay. The study showed that 91.67% of C. acnes isolates were resistance to erythromycin, resistance to clindamycin (75%) and levofloxacin (33.3%) respectively However, they showed low resistance to tetracycline (8.3%) and (25%) doxycycline was performed. The current results showed that six out the 12 tested isolates that tested were positive for PA form severe acnes . While one strain from mild and moderate groups respectively was positive. The study showed that all C. acnes isolates that positive to PA primer had hemolysis gene as detected by PCR using tly primer. The study showed that 62.5% of C. acnes isolates were succeed with this type of lipase gene as detected by PCR, using lipase primer.