-
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2021Dermatophytes are the most common cause of fungal infections worldwide, affecting millions of people annually. The emergence of resistance among dermatophytes along with... (Review)
Review
Dermatophytes are the most common cause of fungal infections worldwide, affecting millions of people annually. The emergence of resistance among dermatophytes along with the availability of antifungal susceptibility procedures suitable for testing antifungal agents against this group of fungi make the combinatorial approach particularly interesting to be investigated. Therefore, we reviewed the scientific literature concerning the antifungal combinations against dermatophytes. A literature search on the subject performed in PubMed yielded 68 publications: 37 articles referring to in vitro studies and 31 articles referring to case reports or clinical studies. In vitro studies involved over 400 clinical isolates of dermatophytes (69% spp., 29% spp., and 2% ). Combinations included two antifungal agents or an antifungal agent plus another chemical compound including plant extracts or essential oils, calcineurin inhibitors, peptides, disinfectant agents, and others. In general, drug combinations yielded variable results spanning from synergism to indifference. Antagonism was rarely seen. In over 700 patients with documented dermatophyte infections, an antifungal combination approach could be evaluated. The most frequent combination included a systemic antifungal agent administered orally (i.e., terbinafine, griseofulvin, or azole-mainly itraconazole) plus a topical medication (i.e., azole, terbinafine, ciclopirox, amorolfine) for several weeks. Clinical results indicate that association of antifungal agents is effective, and it might be useful to accelerate the clinical and microbiological healing of a superficial infection. Antifungal combinations in dermatophytes have gained considerable scientific interest over the years and, in consideration of the interesting results available so far, it is desirable to continue the research in this field.
PubMed: 34575765
DOI: 10.3390/jof7090727 -
British Medical Journal Jul 1968Fourteen cases are described in which the local application of corticosteroid preparations to ringworm infections of the skin have resulted in unusual clinical pictures....
Fourteen cases are described in which the local application of corticosteroid preparations to ringworm infections of the skin have resulted in unusual clinical pictures. A kerion-like lesion due to Trichophyton rubrum, intertriginous infections simulating candidiasis and due to Epidermophyton floccosum, and pictures resembling poikiloderma, papular rosacea, and indeterminate leprosy are among the changes that were seen in these patients.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Betamethasone; Diagnosis, Differential; Eczema; Epidermophyton; Female; Fluocinolone Acetonide; Glucocorticoids; Griseofulvin; Humans; Keratins; Male; Middle Aged; Skin Diseases; Tinea; Triamcinolone Acetonide; Trichophyton; Valerates
PubMed: 5662546
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.3.5611.149 -
Mycopathologia Oct 2016Diapers create particular conditions of moisture and friction, and with urine and feces come increased pH and irritating enzymes (lipases and proteases). Fungi can take... (Review)
Review
Diapers create particular conditions of moisture and friction, and with urine and feces come increased pH and irritating enzymes (lipases and proteases). Fungi can take advantage of all these factors. Candida yeasts, especially C. albicans, are responsible for the most frequent secondary infections and are isolated in more than 80 % of cases. Correct diagnosis is important for ensuring the correct prescription of topical antimycotics. Nystatin, imidazoles and ciclopirox are effective. It is important to realize there are resistant strains. Dermatophytes can infect the diaper area, with the most common agent being Epidermophyton floccosum. The clinical characteristics of dermatophytosis are different from those of candidiasis, and it can be diagnosed and treated simply. Malassezia yeasts can aggravate conditions affecting the diaper area, such as seborrheic dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and inverse psoriasis. Additional treatment is recommended in this case, because they usually involve complement activation and increased specific IgE levels. Erythrasma is a pseudomycosis that is indistinguishable from candidiasis and may also occur in large skin folds. It is treated with topical antibacterial products and some antimycotics.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatomycoses; Fungi; Humans
PubMed: 27193417
DOI: 10.1007/s11046-016-0020-9 -
Current Medical Mycology Jun 2021The most common etiological agents of human dermatophytosis in various parts of the world are , , and . The main aim of this study was to design and evaluate a simple...
A simple multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for rapid identification of the common pathogenic dermatophytes: Trichophyton interdigitale, Trichophyton rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The most common etiological agents of human dermatophytosis in various parts of the world are , , and . The main aim of this study was to design and evaluate a simple and straightforward multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for reliable identification/differentiation of these species in clinical isolates.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The reliable sequences of several molecular targets of dermatophytes species were used to design a multiplex PCR for the identification of common pathogenic dermatophytes. The isolates and clinical specimens examined in this study included seven standard strains of dermatophytes, 101 isolates of dermatophytes and non-dermatophyte molds/yeasts which had already been identified by sequencing or PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and 155 clinical samples from patients suspected of cutaneous mycoses.
RESULTS
Species-specific primer pairs for and / were designed based on the sequence data of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene, and the primers for targeted the specific sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS). The multiplex PCR successfully detected , /, and strains that were identified by sequencing or PCR-RFLP. However, the primer pairs selected for / cross-reacted with . In testing the PCR system directly for clinical samples, the proportion of positive multiplex PCR was higher than positive culture (68.1% vs. 55.4%, respectively).
CONCLUSION
The multiplex assay could detect three common agents out of several causal agents of dermatophytosis, namely , , and . Therefore, by adding pan-dermatophyte primers it can be used as a comprehensive detection/identification test.
PubMed: 35028478
DOI: 10.18502/cmm.7.2.7030 -
Actas Dermo-sifiliograficas Mar 2008Tinea capitis is a widespread scalp infection in children caused by dermatophytes. In fact, it is the most common cutaneous mycosis in children but is uncommon in... (Review)
Review
Tinea capitis is a widespread scalp infection in children caused by dermatophytes. In fact, it is the most common cutaneous mycosis in children but is uncommon in adults. The disease has been major public health concern for decades. Some factors implicated in infection include poor personal hygiene, crowded living conditions, and low socioeconomic status. It can be caused by any pathogenic dermatophyte except for Epidermophyton floccosum and Trichophyton concentricum. Trichophyton rubrum, the most commonly isolated dermatophyte worldwide, is rarely the causative agent of this infection. Tinea capitis is a classic example of the changing geographic patterns of dermatophytosis. In developed countries, Trichophyton tonsurans is the most common causative agent, whereas in developing countries such as Mexico, the most common agent is Microsporum canis followed by Trichophyton tonsurans. The increasing incidence of tinea capitis warranted a review of the current literature and treatment strategies.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Humans; Tinea Capitis
PubMed: 18346430
DOI: No ID Found -
Bioengineered Bugs 2012A total of 220 lactic acid bacteria isolates were screened for antifungal activity using Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger as the target strains. Four...
A total of 220 lactic acid bacteria isolates were screened for antifungal activity using Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger as the target strains. Four Lactobacillus strains exhibited strong inhibitory activity on agar surfaces. All four were also identified as having strong inhibitory activity against the human pathogenic fungi Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum and Epidermophyton floccosum. One of the four lactobacilli, namely Lb. reuteri ee1p exhibited the most inhibition against dermatophytes. Cell-free culture supernatants of Lb. reuteri ee1p and of the non-antifungal Lb. reuteri M13 were freeze-dried and used to access and compare antifungal activity in agar plate assays and microtiter plate assays. Addition of the Lb. reuteri ee1p freeze-dried cell-free supernatant powder into the agar medium at concentrations greater than 2% inhibited all fungal colony growth. Addition of the powder at 5% to liquid cultures caused complete inhibition of fungal growth on the basis of turbidity. Freeze-dried supernatant of the non-antifungal Lb. reuteri M13 at the same concentrations had a much lesser effect. As Lb. reuteri M13 is very similar to the antifungal strain ee1p in terms of growth rate and final pH in liquid culture, and as it has little antifungal activity, it is clear that other antifungal compounds must be specifically produced (or produced at higher levels) by the anti-dermatophyte strain Lb. reuteri ee1p. Reuterin was undetectable in all four antifungal strains. The cell free supernatant of Lb. reuteri ee1p was analyzed by LC-FTMS using an Accela LC coupled to an LTQ Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer. The high mass accuracy spectrum produced by compounds in the Lb. reuteri ee1p strain was compared with both a multianalyte chromatogram and individual spectra of standard anti-fungal compounds, which are known to be produced by lactic acid bacteria. Ten antifungal metabolites were detected.
Topics: Animals; Antibiosis; Antifungal Agents; Arthrodermataceae; Epidermophyton; Glyceraldehyde; Humans; Lactobacillus; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microsporum; Propane
PubMed: 22539027
DOI: 10.4161/bbug.19624 -
Mycopathologia Feb 2017Type and reference strains of members of the onygenalean family Arthrodermataceae have been sequenced for rDNA ITS and partial LSU, the ribosomal 60S protein, and...
Type and reference strains of members of the onygenalean family Arthrodermataceae have been sequenced for rDNA ITS and partial LSU, the ribosomal 60S protein, and fragments of β-tubulin and translation elongation factor 3. The resulting phylogenetic trees showed a large degree of correspondence, and topologies matched those of earlier published phylogenies demonstrating that the phylogenetic representation of dermatophytes and dermatophyte-like fungi has reached an acceptable level of stability. All trees showed Trichophyton to be polyphyletic. In the present paper, Trichophyton is restricted to mainly the derived clade, resulting in classification of nearly all anthropophilic dermatophytes in Trichophyton and Epidermophyton, along with some zoophilic species that regularly infect humans. Microsporum is restricted to some species around M. canis, while the geophilic species and zoophilic species that are more remote from the human sphere are divided over Arthroderma, Lophophyton and Nannizzia. A new genus Guarromyces is proposed for Keratinomyces ceretanicus. Thirteen new combinations are proposed; in an overview of all described species it is noted that the largest number of novelties was introduced during the decades 1920-1940, when morphological characters were used in addition to clinical features. Species are neo- or epi-typified where necessary, which was the case in Arthroderma curreyi, Epidermophyton floccosum, Lophophyton gallinae, Trichophyton equinum, T. mentagrophytes, T. quinckeanum, T. schoenleinii, T. soudanense, and T. verrucosum. In the newly proposed taxonomy, Trichophyton contains 16 species, Epidermophyton one species, Nannizzia 9 species, Microsporum 3 species, Lophophyton 1 species, Arthroderma 21 species and Ctenomyces 1 species, but more detailed studies remain needed to establish species borderlines. Each species now has a single valid name. Two new genera are introduced: Guarromyces and Paraphyton. The number of genera has increased, but species that are relevant to routine diagnostics now belong to smaller groups, which enhances their identification.
Topics: Animals; Cluster Analysis; DNA, Fungal; DNA, Ribosomal; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; Epidermophyton; Genetic Variation; Humans; Microsporum; Peptide Elongation Factors; Phylogeny; Ribosomal Proteins; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Tinea; Trichophyton; Tubulin
PubMed: 27783317
DOI: 10.1007/s11046-016-0073-9 -
Medical Mycology Journal 2015An epidemiological survey of dermatomycoses and their causative fungus flora in Japan for 2011 was conducted in accordance with methods and criteria of the past four... (Review)
Review
An epidemiological survey of dermatomycoses and their causative fungus flora in Japan for 2011 was conducted in accordance with methods and criteria of the past four surveys. The survey covered a total number of 36,052 outpatients who visited 12 dermatological clinics throughout Japan. The results were as follows. 1)Dermatophytosis was the most prevalent cutaneous fungal infection (2,980 cases) seen in these clinics, followed by candidiasis (378 cases) and then Malassezia infections (152 cases). 2)Among dermatophytoses, tinea pedis was the most frequent (1,930 cases : male, 980 ; female, 950), then in decreasing order, tinea unguium (780 cases : male, 409 ; female, 371), tinea corporis (203 cases : male, 132 ; female, 71), tinea cruris (112 cases : male, 86 ; female, 26), tinea manuum (43 cases : male, 25 ; female, 18), and tinea capitis including kerion (16 cases : male, 13 ; female, 3). 3)Tinea pedis and tinea unguium were seen to increase in the summer season and occur mostly among the aged population. Compared to the last survey, by clinical form, there was a marked decrease in dermatophytosis patients. 4)As the causative dermatophyte species, Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequently isolated at about 80 % among all dermatophyte infections excluding tinea capitis. T. mentagrophytes was about 10 %. Microsporum canis was isolated in five cases. M. gypseum was isolated in three cases, and Epidermophyton floccosum was isolated in only one case. T. tonsurans was isolated in 13 cases. 5)Cutaneous candidiasis was seen in 378 cases (305, male ; 537, female). Intertrigo (298 cases) was the most frequent clinical form, followed by diaporcandidiasis (79 cases), erosion interdigitalis (62 cases), genital candidiasis (46 cases). 6)Tinea versicolor was seen in 97 cases. Malassezia folliculitis was isolated in 55 cases.
Topics: Age Factors; Candidiasis, Cutaneous; Dermatomycoses; Humans; Japan; Malassezia; Seasons; Sex Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; Tinea; Trichophyton
PubMed: 26617109
DOI: 10.3314/mmj.56.J129 -
Archives of Iranian Medicine Aug 2022Dermatophytosis still remains a major public health concern worldwide, particularly in developing countries. This study was undertaken to determine the etiological and...
BACKGROUND
Dermatophytosis still remains a major public health concern worldwide, particularly in developing countries. This study was undertaken to determine the etiological and epidemiological factors of dermatophyte infections in Tehran, Iran.
METHODS
A total of 1530 patients clinically suspected of cutaneous fungal infections were examined in two hospitals over a period of 10 years (2010-2020). Samples were analyzed using direct microscopic examination and culture. Data regarding age, gender, and clinical manifestations were also recorded.
RESULTS
Out of 1530 cases examined, dermatophytes were detected in 493 (32.2%) patients. Of these patients, 288 (58.4%) were males and 205 (41.6%) were females. The most affected age group was the 25-44 years old (31.6%). Tinea corporis (n=134) was the most prevalent type of ringworm, followed by tinea cruris (n=131), tinea pedis (n=90), tinea manuum (n=65), tinea unguium (n=29), tinea faciei (n=20), tinea capitis (n=18), and tinea barbae (n=2). Both tinea cruris (<0.001) and tinea pedis (=0.002) had a significant association with male gender. As for etiological agents, (29.0%) was the most frequent isolate, followed by T (25.8%), (25.3%), (6.9%), (4.9%), (4.5%), (2.0%), and (1.6%).
CONCLUSION
Dermatophytes are still the prevailing causes of fungal infection of the skin, hair, and nails in Iran. Further studies with larger samples sizes and inclusion of diverse locations would yield more accurate results.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Adult; Tinea Pedis; Retrospective Studies; Tinea cruris; Iran; Tinea
PubMed: 37543872
DOI: 10.34172/aim.2022.82