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Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2021The enzymatic and antifungal profiles of dermatophytes play an important role in causing infections in humans and animals. This study aimed to assess the virulence...
The enzymatic and antifungal profiles of dermatophytes play an important role in causing infections in humans and animals. This study aimed to assess the virulence factors produced by strains, in vitro antifungal profile and the relationship between virulence, antifungal profile and occurrence of lesions in animals and humans. A total of 100 strains from humans with ( = 10) and from animals presenting ( = 64) or not ( = 26) skin lesions was employed to evaluate phospholipase (Pz), hemolytic (Hz), lipase (Lz), catalase (Ca), and thermotolerance (GI) activities. In addition, in vitro antifungal profile was conducted using the CLSI broth microdilution method. A statistically significant difference ( < 0.05) in Lz and Ca values was revealed among strains from hosts with and without lesions. Voriconazole, terbinafine, and posaconazole were the most active drugs followed by ketoconazole, griseofulvin, itraconazole, and fluconazole in decreasing activity order. The significant positive correlation between azole susceptibility profile of and virulence factors (i.e., hemolysin and catalase) suggest that both enzyme patterns and antifungal susceptibility play a role in the appearance of skin lesions in animals and humans.
PubMed: 33809233
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10030296 -
Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2023Dermatophytic pseudomycetoma is a rare invasive infection, involving both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Since the discovery of inherited immune...
Dermatophytic pseudomycetoma is a rare invasive infection, involving both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Since the discovery of inherited immune disorders such as the impairment of gene, extended dermatophyte infections are mostly ascribed to any of these host factors. This study is to present and explore the potential causes in a fatal dermatophytic pseudomycetoma patient. We present a chronic and deep pseudomycetoma caused by the common dermatophyte which ultimately led to the death of the patient. Mycological examination, genetic studies and host immune responses against fungi were performed to explore the potential factors. The patient had decreased lymphocyte counts with significantly reduced CD4 T cells, although all currently known genetic parameters proved to be normal. Through functional studies, we demonstrated that peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the patient showed severe impairment of adaptive cytokine production upon fungus-specific stimulation, whereas innate immune responses were partially defective. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of fatal dermatophytic pseudomycetoma in a patient with non-HIV CD4 lymphocytopenia, which highlights the importance of screening for immune deficiencies in patients with deep dermatophytosis.
Topics: Humans; Dermatomycoses; Mycetoma; Female; Middle Aged; Microsporum; Fatal Outcome; Caspase 9; Receptors, Interleukin-7; Mutation; Rare Diseases; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Immunity, Innate
PubMed: 37128909
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2208685 -
Development, preparation, and evaluation of a novel non-adjuvanted polyvalent dermatophytes vaccine.Scientific Reports Jan 2023Ringworm is a worldwide distributed contagious disease infecting both man and animals that constitute an economic, zoonotic, and health problem concern all over the...
Ringworm is a worldwide distributed contagious disease infecting both man and animals that constitute an economic, zoonotic, and health problem concern all over the world. During the last decade, attention has been directed to vaccination as an ideal approach to the control of such diseases. In the present study, non-adjuvanted polyvalent vaccines were prepared from locally isolated hot and virulent dermatophyte species, namely Trichophyton verrucosum (T. verrucosum), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes), and Microsporum canis (M. canis) were immunologically evaluated. The prepared vaccine evaluation was focused on the aspects of immunogenicity and protective efficacy using guinea pigs. Both in its living or inactivated forms, the vaccine-induced significant humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and achieve proper protection of guinea pigs against challenging infections with homologous and heterologous dermatophyte strains. On the other hand, investigations on dermatophyte exo-keratinases showed that it was better produced and more expressed in a mineral-based medium containing pure keratin (3 g/L) than in the same medium with human hair supplementation (2.6 g/L). The maximum dermatophyte productivity of exo-keratinases was found to be between 18 and 21 days post-incubation. Using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), two fractions with molecular weights of 40 kDa (fraction I) and 28 kDa (fraction II) have been identified in the culture filtrate of the three involved dermatophyte species. Both fractions demonstrated keratinolytic activity. The specific activity of the isolated keratinases (number of Keratinase units (KU)/mg protein) was stronger in fraction I, where it reached 18.75, 15.38, and 14 KU/mg protein as compared to 12.9, 8.74, and 12 KU/mg protein in fraction II of T. verrucosum, T. mentagrophytes, and M. canis, respectively. The dermatophyte exo-keratinases proved to be immunogenic as they stimulated high keratinase-specific antibody titers and induced strong delayed skin hypersensitivity reactions in vaccinated animals. Anti-keratinase-specific IgG was detected in sera of guinea pigs immunized with the inactivated or living polyvalent dermatophyte vaccines by a homemade enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using dermatophyte exo-keratinases as coating antigen. The intradermal injection of dermatophyte exo-keratinases induced specific delayed skin reactions in guinea pigs immunized with the inactivated or the living polyvalent dermatophyte vaccines. The intradermal injection of dermatophyte exo-keratinases in the control non-sensitized guinea pigs was associated with itching, swelling, and bloody scar formation, however, no skin indurations were formed. The development of those post-exo-keratinases injection reactions in the control non-sensitized apparently healthy guinea pigs group, suggests an exo-keratinases possible role in the pathogenesis of dermatophytosis.
Topics: Male; Humans; Animals; Guinea Pigs; Arthrodermataceae; Dermatomycoses; Vaccines, Combined; Microsporum
PubMed: 36599863
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26567-3 -
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational... 2019Until recently, superficial dermatophytosis, also known as tinea, was considered as a minor skin infection, which was easy to treat. There used to be rare outbreaks and... (Review)
Review
Until recently, superficial dermatophytosis, also known as tinea, was considered as a minor skin infection, which was easy to treat. There used to be rare outbreaks and epidemics of superficial dermatophytosis. Lately, there is a sweeping change in the clinical presentation due to extensive, atypical and recalcitrant dermatophytosis. Treating such infections poses a great challenge to the clinicians. Dermatophytosis is a superficial fungal infection of keratinized tissue (skin, hairs and nails) by dermatophytes (fungus). It is caused by the three genera of dermatophytes: and . The conventional methods of laboratory diagnosis have now been substantiated by molecular characterization. Earlier epidemics were usually due to anthropophilic dermatophytes. Now, zoophilic dermatophytes are also responsible for many outbreaks and epidemics. We need to be equipped with the tools to face the current scenario, because this depends upon the competence of the staff working in the state-of-the-art laboratories, which is needed for the study of the epidemiology and appropriate treatment.
PubMed: 31849509
DOI: 10.2147/CCID.S220849 -
IMA Fungus Jul 2023The Microsporum canis complex consists of one zoophilic species, M. canis, and two anthropophilic species, M. audouinii and M. ferrugineum. These species are the most...
The Microsporum canis complex consists of one zoophilic species, M. canis, and two anthropophilic species, M. audouinii and M. ferrugineum. These species are the most widespread zoonotic pathogens causing dermatophytosis in cats and humans worldwide. To clarify the evolutionary relationship between the three species and explore the potential host shift process, this study used phylogenetic analysis, population structure analysis, multispecies coalescent analyses, determination of MAT idiomorph distribution, sexual crosses, and macromorphology and physicochemical features to address the above questions. The complex of Microsporum canis, M. audouinii and M. ferrugineum comprises 12 genotypes. MAT1-1 was present only in M. canis, while the anthropophilic entities contained MAT1-2. The pseudocleistothecia were yielded by the mating behaviour of M. canis and M. audouinii. Growth rates and lipase, keratinolysis and urea hydrolytic capacities of zoophilic M. canis isolates were all higher than those of anthropophilic strains; DNase activity of M. ferrugineum exceeded that of M. canis. The optimum growth temperature was 28 °C, but 22 °C favoured the development of macroconidia. Molecular data, physicochemical properties and phenotypes suggest the adaptation of zoophilic M. canis to anthropophilic M. ferrugineum, with M. audouinii in an intermediate position.
PubMed: 37488659
DOI: 10.1186/s43008-023-00120-x -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2021Among the top five human infections requiring medical treatment is dermatitis. Treatment of bacterial and fungal skin infections is usually based on antibiotic therapy,...
Among the top five human infections requiring medical treatment is dermatitis. Treatment of bacterial and fungal skin infections is usually based on antibiotic therapy, which is often ineffective due to the involvement of antibiotic-resistant microbial strains. The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) and hydrolates (Hys) extracted from six aromatic plants grown in Italy ( and ) towards fungal (, , and ; , , , and ) and bacterial strains ( MRSA, MSSA, , VRE, and ) potentially pathogenic for human skin. The composition and antimicrobial activity of EOs and Hys were evaluated using the Gas-chromatography mass spectrometry and micro dilution-broth test, respectively. The volatiles' conversion factors (CFs) were calculated to compare the activity of Hys with that of the corresponding EOs. Data show that, although the minimum inhibitory concentration values of EOs are lower than the corresponding Hys, the volatiles contained in Hys are more effective at inhibiting microbial growth because they are active at lower concentrations.
PubMed: 33477717
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10010088 -
Schweizer Archiv Fur Tierheilkunde May 2005Feline dermatophytosis is a superficial skin infection characterized by the invasion of cornified tissues such as hair and nails. This infection is nearly always caused... (Review)
Review
Feline dermatophytosis is a superficial skin infection characterized by the invasion of cornified tissues such as hair and nails. This infection is nearly always caused by Microsporum canis. Infected animals release infective spores in the environment which will then contaminate other animals or humans. Infected animals usually develop immunity so the infection will spontaneously disappear after a few weeks to months. Long haired and immunocom-promised cats do not have the same ability to acquire resistance and spontaneous recovery does usually not occur. The treatment of such an infection will require topical and systemic treatment of all contaminated and in-contact cats. The use of desinfectants such as bleach or enilconazole has been proven effective to destroy the spores in the environment. In addition, the efficacy of topical and systemic treatments with azole derivates or allylamines has also been demonstrated in several studies. On the contrary, dermatophyte vaccination has never been proven effective in well controlled studies. Regular follow-up and fungal cultures are mandatory to ensure succesfull treatment.
Topics: Animals; Antifungal Agents; Cat Diseases; Cats; Dermatomycoses; Immunocompromised Host; Microsporum; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 15929601
DOI: 10.1024/0036-7281.147.5.205 -
Pathogens & Immunity 2022Ultraviolet light in the UV-C band is also known as germicidal radiation, and it is widely used for decontamination and disinfection of environments, water, and food....
BACKGROUND
Ultraviolet light in the UV-C band is also known as germicidal radiation, and it is widely used for decontamination and disinfection of environments, water, and food. The ultraviolet source transfers electromagnetic energy from a mercury arc lamp to an organism's genetic material. When UV radiation penetrates the cell wall of an organism, it destroys the cell's ability to reproduce, through a physical and not chemical process. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of a new UV-C generating device (Asepsis) against clinically important microorganisms that may be present in beauty centers.
METHODS
We present here a set of tests performed on tools easy to find in beauty salons (hair-brushes, nail pliers, makeup brushes, and, due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, face mask samples). They were individually contaminated with bacteria (), fungi (), and the Chikungunya virus. Different times of exposure were evaluated (1, 3, and 5 minutes).
RESULTS
There was notable reduction in the microbial load in every test, in comparison with control groups. Best results were observed on face mask samples, while the makeup brush showed less reduction, even with longer periods of exposure.
CONCLUSIONS
Beauty salons present a risk of infections due to microbial exposure. The device tested can efficiently inactivate, in a short time, microorganisms contaminating most tools found in this setting. The device also showed promising results against enveloped virus.
PubMed: 35795726
DOI: 10.20411/pai.v7i1.497 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2022is the primary agent causing dermatophytosis in cats, and also infects humans, dogs, and other species. Assessment of genetic variation among isolates in the United...
is the primary agent causing dermatophytosis in cats, and also infects humans, dogs, and other species. Assessment of genetic variation among isolates in the United States has not been conducted. Further, mating type and assessment of disease severity associated with genotypic characteristics have not been rigorously evaluated. We therefore isolated from 191 domestic cats across the US and characterized genotypes by evaluation of ITS sequence, MAT locus, and microsatellite loci analysis. The genes SSU1 and SUB3, which are associated with keratin adhesion and digestion, were sequenced from a subset of isolates to evaluate potential genetic associations with virulence. Analysis of microsatellite makers revealed three genetic clusters. Both clinic location and disease severity were significant predictors of microsatellite variants. 100% of the isolates were MAT1-1 mating gene type, indicating that MAT1-2 is very rare or extinct in the US and that asexual reproduction is the dominant form of replication. No genetic variation at SSU1 and SUB3 was observed. These findings pave the way for novel testing modalities for and provide insights about transmission and ecology of this ubiquitous and relatively uncharacterized agent.
PubMed: 35887433
DOI: 10.3390/jof8070676 -
Nihon Ishinkin Gakkai Zasshi = Japanese... 2010Molecular biological approaches have recently begun to be applied to molecular genetics studies of dermatophytes. High-throughput gene analysis methodologies, such as... (Review)
Review
Molecular biological approaches have recently begun to be applied to molecular genetics studies of dermatophytes. High-throughput gene analysis methodologies, such as EST sequencing, differential cDNA screening, and cDNA-based microarray analysis have been used to obtain information on many dermatophyte genes and their expression profiles under different experimental conditions. In addition, whole genome sequencing projects are underway for several important dermatophytes, such as Trichophyton rubrum and Microsporum canis. These studies will provide large amounts of valuable information for elucidating the molecular basis of host invasion by dermatophytes and their virulence. Targeted gene disruption by homologous recombination is one of the most common approaches for determining the functions and roles of numerous genes isolated from pathogenic fungi. However, the difficulty of genetic manipulation due to low transformation frequency of dermatophytes may limit the successful production of null mutants by targeted gene disruption via homologous recombination. To overcome these problems, our group has developed useful genetic manipulation systems for dermatophytes using the clinically important dermatophyte, T. mentagrophytes.
Topics: Arthrodermataceae; Gene Targeting; Genetic Engineering; Genetic Techniques; Transformation, Genetic
PubMed: 20467196
DOI: 10.3314/jjmm.51.87