St. Louis ? The acne drug Accutane does not increase symptoms of depression in teenagers, a study from St. Louis University concludes.

Several high-profile court cases have blamed Accutane for suicides, including that of a Florida boy who stole an airplane and crashed into an office building. Tests later showed that although the 15-year-old had previously taken Accutane, he did not have any of the drug in his blood at the time of his suicide.

Now an independent study conducted by Dr. Elaine Siegfried and her colleagues at St. Louis University shows that youngsters who take the acne drug are no more likely to attempt suicide than teenagers treated with other acne remedies.

“I think the results reflect the clinical experience of most dermatologists,” Siegfried said.

The study results appear in the current Archives of Dermatology, a journal published by the American Medical Assn.

Accutane, also known as isotretinoin, is a derivative of vitamin A. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug for acne treatment in 1982. Since then, Accutane has been a “miracle drug” for people suffering from severe acne, Siegfried said.

But increasing reports of suicide and depression in patients using Accutane led to new labeling standards, and patients are now informed that the drug may have psychiatric side effects.

Before the SLU study, other studies had also discounted a link between Accutane and depression and suicide, said Dr. Susan Mallory, a professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Washington University. But the reports of such a link are likely to continue because “There’s always somebody who could get depressed whether they’re on Accutane or not. … The fears are out there.”

Accutane shuts down the sebaceous glands, glands in the skin that produce a greasy substance, Mallory said.

“It’s more curative than any other medication out there” for acne, she said.

Efforts to remove Accutane from the market due to fears of suicide are “a real disservice to those who could benefit from this” drug, she said.