Dermatophyte Species Research Articles

Fungal and parasitic contamination of indoor public swimming pools in Arak, Iran

BackgroundSwimming is a popular exercise for different types of people at different ages. Public swimming pools are places where fungal infections can be easily transferred. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of mycological, parasitological, and physicochemical parameters of swimming pools of Arak city.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was done for 12 months from April 2013 to March 2014 in six indoor active swimming pools of Arak city (A, B, C, D, E, and F). Samples were collected in four seasons, two times/season; each time, two samples were obtained from six specified locations (shallow level pool, deep level pool, dressing rooms, showers, margin of pool walls, and foot-washing sink) from each pool with a total of 576 samples. Physicochemical parameters including water temperature, pH, turbidity, and the residual chlorine were measured on-site. In order to isolate and detect the fungal agents, special filters and culture Sabouraud’s dextrose agar, chloramphenicol, and mycosel agar media were applied. Furthermore, non-nutrient agar medium enriched with Escherichia coli was used to detect and to separate the eggs of the worms, cysts, and parasitic protozoa from centrifuges of samples. In order to investigate their sediment, optical microscope and culture media were used.ResultsWe found that 456 (79.1%) samples were positive regarding the fungal elements, and 516 fungal species were isolated. The most common isolates were saprophytic species (8.74%), yeast species (25%), and dermatophyte species (2.5%). The most contaminated surfaces were foot-washing sinks and showers. In this study, Acanthamoeba parasites were isolated from one pool only.All the investigated physicochemical parameters of pool water except for the temperature were found to be in the standard range.ConclusionsExistence of saprophytic fungi and yeast in pools’ water is plausible to be considered as an indicator of water resistance to the detergent agents. This high degree of contamination is due to the huge number of visitors, the complexity of construction, the choice of materials, and the long opening hours. Isolation of dermatophytes and Acanthamoeba parasite from the pools’ area and foot-washing sink reveals the important role of the public swimming pools in disease transmission.

Comparison of in vitro antifungal activity of novel triazoles with available antifungal agents against dermatophyte species caused tinea pedis

ObjectiveDermatophytes are a group of keratinophilic fungi that invade and infect the keratinized tissues and cause dermatophytosis. We investigated effectiveness of novel triazole (luliconazole and lanaconazole) in comparison with available antifungal agents against dermatophyte species isolated from patients with tinea pedis. Material and methodsA total of 60 dermatophytes species were isolated from the patients with tinea pedis. Identification of species was done by DNA sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 rDNA region. In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing with luliconazole and lanaconazole and available antifungal agent was done in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, M38-A2 document. ResultsIn all investigated isolates, luliconazole had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (MIC range=0.0005–0.004μg/mL), while fluconazole (MIC range=0.4–64μg/mL) had the highest MICs. Geometric mean MIC was the lowest for luliconazole (0.0008μg/mL), followed by lanoconazole (0.003μg/mL), terbinafine (0.019μg/mL), itraconazole (0.085 μg/mL), ketoconazole (0.089μg/mL), econazole (0.097μg/mL), griseofulvin (0.351 μg/mL), voriconazole (0.583μg/mL) and fluconazole (11.58μg/mL). ConclusionThe novel triazoles showed potent activity against dermatophytes and promising candidates for the treatment of tinea pedis caused by Trichophyton and Epidermophyton species. However, further studies are warranted to determine the clinical implications of these investigations.

Efficacies and merits of the cotton swab technique for diagnosing tinea capitis in the pediatric population

Efficacies and merits of the cotton swab technique for diagnosing tinea capitis in the pediatric population

Detection of Dermatophytes from Dermatophytosis-Suspected Cases in Iran, Evaluation of Polymerase Chain Reaction-Sequencing Method.

Background:Dermatophytosis is mostly caused by dermatophytes species, and the diagnosis of disease is very important for early treatment. The aim of this study was to identify the commonly dermatophytes species isolated directly from the clinical samples, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and evaluate both conventional and molecular methods.Materials and Methods:This study was performed on 115 clinical samples. Dermatophyte isolates were initially identified by conventional method and confirmed by the sequencing molecular method. In this study, the molecular technique is implemented directly on clinical samples. Statistical analysis of the information was performed by the SPSS software, and the results were statistically analyzed.Results:Our findings demonstrated that the most abundant dermatophyte species by PCR-sequencing were Trichophyton mentagrophytes (20%), followed by Trichophyton tonsurans (10%), Trichophyton rubrum (6.7%), T. interdigital (6.7%), Arthroderma otae, and Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii, (3.3%) for each one.Conclusion:For medical laboratories, routine procedures are still preferred because of their lower cost, and the results are almost the same as the molecular methods. The sensitivity and specificity values for PCR under our laboratory condition were 60% and 87%, respectively. This study shows that molecular results performed better in nails than other samples, by culture results.

Dermatophytoses: A short definition, pathogenesis, and treatment

Dermatophytosis is an important type of fungal skin infection caused by dermatophytes. There is actually no part of the world that can be cleared from infection with dermatophytosis. The skin, hair, and nail of all types of mammalian, including humans, are under the risk to develop dermatophytosis. The disease is mainly caused by different species of dermatophytes within the cutaneous layer of the skin. Several topical and systemic antifungal drugs are used for the treatment of dermatophytosis. This review focuses on the general features of dermatophytic treatment, epidemiology, and the risk of contact with infected animals. Animal model as a promising branch for evaluation of new drugs is also discussed to give clear vision in the management of this worldwide predominant disease.

Dermatophytosis a worldwide contiguous fungal infection: Growing challenge and few solutions

Dermatophytes are filamentous fungi that survive on keratinous materials. There is a broad prevalence of dermatophytes infection among the world. Dermatophytosis is the disease that mainly caused by different species of dermatophytes within the cutaneous layer of the skin. It has contagious properties to spread from person to another and also from the animal to the human. The skin, hair, and nail of all types of mammalian, including human, are under the risk to develop dermatophytosis. A total of 2530 articles have been investigated in PubMed (n = 1525), Medline (n = 705), and Google Scholar (n = 300). From 2530 articles, just 48 studies were included in this review. This study aimed to review available data and current literature as well as information from personal experiments regarding dermatophytes infection to focus on the dermatophytes general features, dermatophytosis, pathogenesis presented by enzymes production, most common factors associated with infection, prevalence, and treatment of dermatophytes infection, and also to yield a clear vision to other researches about this worldwide predominant contiguous fungal disease.

Efficacy and Safety of Voriconazole in the treatment of resistant cases of Dermatophytosis

This is a descriptive type of longitudinal study conducted among Hundred clinically diagnosed cases of dermatophytes attending at skin out patients department of Zainul Haque Sikder Women’s Medical College, Bangladesh from August 2018 to August 2019 to observe the efficacy and safety of voriconazole among the resistant cases of dermatophytosis. Among 100 patients, 40 were males and 60 females between ages 20 and 65 years of all age group with clinical, mycological diagnosis of dermatophytosis. To find out antifungal resistance pattern as well as efficacy and Safety of Voriconazole among dermatophytes. (Skin, hair and nail samples were taken aseptically. All patients were resistant against present treatment options like: fluconazole, itraconazole & terbinafine etc.) All patients were treated with Voriconazole. Duration of treatment of each patient was 4 weeks. Resistance against fluconazole and terbinafine was most common, 85.33% and 58% respectively. 5% resistance against voriconazole was observed in this study. Resistance against fluconazole was noted among all species of dermatophytes, followed by terbinafine. Among 100 patients 80% was fully cure and rest of 15 % were partially cure with 5% resistant of Voriconazole which is seems to be more effective and safer against dermatophytosis.

Low in vitro activity of sertaconazole against clinical isolates of dermatophyte

Background and Purpose:Dermatophytes are a group of fungi specialized in invading humans and other vertebrate keratinized tissues. These fungi cause a variety of skin, nail, and hair disorders, called dermatophytosis (tinea). In some cases, drug resistance to antifungals necessitates special treatment. Among the antifungal agents, sertaconazole (i.e., a third-generation imidazole) has a broad-spectrum against dermatophyte species. Regarding this, the present study was conducted to investigate the antifungal susceptibility of dermatophytes obtained from patients with dermatophytosis in Mashhad located in northeastern Iran.Materials and Methods:A total of 75 clinical dermatophyte isolates, including Trichophyton mentagrophytes (n=21), T. interdigital (n=18), T. tonsurans (n=16), Epidermophyton floccosum (n=11), Microsporum canis (n=5), Nannizzia fulvum (n=2), T. benhamiae (n=1), and T. verrucosum (n=1), were evaluated against five antifungal agents of sertaconazole, itraconazole, clotrimazole, terbinafine, and griseofulvin based on the CLSI M38-A2 guideline.Results: According to the results, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranges of sertaconazole, terbinafine, griseofulvin, itraconazole, and clotrimazole were estimated at 0.125-16, 0.002-1, 0.5-4, 0.031-4, and 0.016-4 µg/ml, respectively, for dermatophyte species. In addition, the geometric mean (GM) values of the MIC of sertaconazole, terbinafine, griseofulvin, itraconazole, and clotrimazole were obtained as 3.39, 1, 1.44, 1.52, and 1.93, respectively.Conclusion:Among the tested antifungals, terbinafine and griseofulvin were the most effective agents against dermatophyte isolates. However, sertaconazole, a third-generation imidazole, did not show any significant effect. Furthermore, M. canis and E. floccosum showed the best response to the antifungal agents.

Identification of Dermatophyte and Nondermatophyte Molds Isolated from Animal Lesions Suspected to Dermatomycoses.

Background:Dermatomycoses contain superficial fungal infections of keratinized layers of the body such as skin, hair, and nail that affect more than 20%–25% of people and animals worldwide. Some fungi can cause superficial infections in animals after accidental penetration and colonization on injured skin and can be transmitted to humans by exposure. The infection caused mainly by dermatophyte species and may also be caused rarely by yeasts and nondermatophytic molds.Materials and Methods:Eighty-two skin scrapings and hair samples were collected from animals (sheep, cow, cat, camel, calf, goat, horse, and dog) in three specialized pet clinics and three livestock and slaughterhouses. The isolates were identified using direct microscopy, culture, and polymerase chain reaction-sequencing of ITS1-5.8SrDNA-ITS2 region.Results:Thirteen mold strains out of 82 clinical samples (15.8%) were isolated from animal lesions. Acremonium exuviarum (n = 4; 30.7%), Sarocladium implicatum (n = 2; 15.4%), Arthroderma otae (n = 2; 15.4%), Chaetomium iranianum (n = 1; 7.7%), Trichothecium roseum (n = 1; 7.7%), Lichtheimia ramosa (n = 1; 7.7%), Penicillium chrysogenum (n = 1; 7.7%), and Microsporum equinum (n = 1; 7.7%) were isolated from clinical specimens.Conclusion:Since opportunistic fungi are increasing as etiological agents of dermatomycoses, isolation of these molds from wounds can be a warning to veterinarians, and daily cleaning of wounds with a proper disinfectant is recommended for the prevention of fungal colonization.

Clinico-mycological Evaluation of Dermatophytes in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India

Introduction: Dermatophytes and opportunistic fungi are common skin infection mainly affecting superficial layers of integument with rare systemic involvement. The higher prevalence in India is supposedly due to the hot and humid climatic condition, occupation and low socio-economic status. Recent upsurge in fungal infections are due to increased incidence of immunosuppressive state. Aim: To study the clinical manifestation and mycological evaluation of dermatophytosis. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional observational study was conducted during December 2007 to October 2009 in MP Shah Medical College and GG Hospital, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. Samples were taken from 200 patients with clinically diagnosed dermatophytosis. Depending on the site of lesion, samples from skin, hair or nail were taken. These samples were than examined directly under microscope and cultured on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar (SDA) and Cornmeal Agar (CMA). Descriptive statistics like mean and percentages were used to infer results. Results: Out of 200 patients, 177 (88.5%) samples were positive by Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) mount while 127 (63.5%) samples were positive by culture. Most common species of dermatophytes identified was Trichophyton rubrum followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Agricultural workers were found to be more prone to dermatophytic infection and males (61%) were more commonly affected than females (39%). Conclusion: Dermatophytosis is a common superficial mycotic infection in Saurashtra region where hot and humid climate, poor socio-economic condition and compromised personal hygiene play an important role in fungal growth. In the present study, tinea corporis was found to be the most common clinical type with T. rubrum being the commonest isolated species.

Clinically Used And Potential Antimycotics In The Context Of Therapy Of Dermatomycoses

Abstract Paradoxically, despite the progress in medicine, the prevalence of fungal infections is increasing from year to year. At the beginning of the third millennium, practical therapeutic options are still very limited. Currently, only eight classes of antifungal compounds are in clinical use, only four of which are used in the treatment of dermatomycoses. The intense search for the “Holy Grail” of antifungal therapy that has been going on since the second half of the 20th century faces serious obstacles arising from the eukaryotic model of fungal cell structure. In this paper, new groups of chemical compounds of mainly natural origin have been synthetically described, which due to their interesting antifungal activity, including pathogenic species of dermatophytes, may constitute new therapeutic options. Among compounds currently arousing great interest, compounds from the group of terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids and essential oils deserve attention. Many of these compounds are in clinical trials as potential antifungal agents, while others are in preclinical studies. Future research should focus on attempting to determine the applicability of the given substances in implementation for routine use and their effectiveness, toxicity and side effects. 1. Introduction. 2. General characteristics of dermatophytes in the therapeutic aspect. 3. New synthetic preparations with antifungal activity. 4. Natural antifungal preparations. 4.1. Terpenoids and essential oils. 4.2. Alkaloids. 4.3. Flavonoids. 4.4. Saponins. 4.5. Other chemical compounds 5. Summary

Dermatophytosis in companion animals: A review.

Dermatophytosis, a zoonotic disease, is caused by fungi of three main genera, namely, Micropsorum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton. Specific lesions of dermatophyte infections are localized in the face, legs, and/or tail. Skin lesions in infected animals demonstrate localized alopecia, erythema, and crust, which are more commonly known as ringworm. Factors that affect dermatophytosis include the dermatophyte species; virulence factors of the agent; and the immune status, age, and sex of the host. High levels of cortisol and pro-inflammatory cytokines have also been reported to play an important role in dermatophyte infection. This review aims to explore and understand factors that affect dermatophyte infection with an emphasis on the prevalence, clinical signs, pathogenesis, immune response, and the roles of cortisol and cytokines in companion animals infected by a dermatophyte.

A Comparative Study on Phenotypic versus ITS-Based Molecular Identification of Dermatophytes Isolated in Dakar, Senegal.

Classically, dermatophytes are identified by phenotypic methods even if these methods, sometimes, remain difficult or uncertain. On the other hand, nucleotide sequence analysis of internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of rDNA has proved to be a useful method for identification of dermatophytes. The objective of this study was to compare the phenotypic method with DNA sequencing of the ITS regions for identification of dermatophyte species isolated in Dakar, Senegal. A collection of thirty-two strains of dermatophytes were isolated from patients suffering from dermatophytosis. Mycological identification revealed Trichophyton soudanense (n = 13), T. interdigitale (n = 10), Microsporum audouinii (n = 5), and one strain for each of the following species: T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and M. canis and one unidentified strain. For comparison, ITS-based PCR and DNA sequencing were applied for identification of the isolated dermatophytes. ITS sequences showed, in BLAST search analysis, 99-100% of similarity. Identification of dermatophyte isolates by conventional methods was confirmed by DNA sequencing of the ITS regions in 84% of cases. Discrepancies concern mostly T. rubrum misidentified as T. interdigitale. PCR sequencing provided an excellent tool for identifying dermatophyte strains that do not present typical morphological characteristics. It was also able to give correct identification of an atypical strain of M. audouinii responsible of mycetoma of the scalp.

Essential oils of Mentha viridis rich phenolic compounds show important antioxidant, antidiabetic, dermatoprotective, antidermatophyte and antibacterial properties

Abstract The aim of this study was the investigation of the in vitro antioxidant, antidiabetic, dermatoprotective, antidermatophyte, and antibacterial properties of Mentha viridis essential oil (MVEO). Chemical composition of MVEO was determined using GC-MS analysis. Antioxidant activity was estimated by three complementary methods: DPPH, FRAP and ABTS. The in vitro antidiabetic effect was evaluated by the inhibition of α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase. Inhibitory effects of tyrosinase and elastase were used to reveal the dermatoprotective property of MVEO. Antibacterial activity was tested against five strains using agar well diffusion assay and microtitration method. The chemical composition determination of MVEO revealed the presence of carvone (37.26), 1.8-Cineole (11.82), and Terpinen-4-ol (08.72%) as the main compounds. MVEO presented remarkable antioxidant effects by IC50 values of 80.45 ± 1.86 μg/mL, 101.78 ± 3.14 μg/mL, and 139.59 ± 3.12 μg/mL obtained by DPPH, FRAP and ABTS tests respectively. In vitro inhibition of enzymes implicated in hydrocarbures degradation showed that MVEO exhibited important inhibitory effects against α-Amylase (IC50 = 101.72 ± 1.86 μg/mL) and α-Glucosidase (IC50 = 86.93 ± 2.43 μg/mL). Moreover, MVEO demonstrated remarkable inhibition of tyrosinase (IC50 = 55.13 ± 1.01 μg/mL) and elastase (IC50 = 114.24 ± 1.22 μg/mL). The antifungal activity showed important inhibitions of three dermatophyte species (T. mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans and T. violaceum). The antibacterial activity showed an important bactericidal action against tested strains, especially, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes (MIC = MBC = 0.25%). The findings of this work showed that volatile components of MVEO could constitute a new source for antioxidant, antidiabetic, dermatoprotective, antidermatophyte and antibacterial properties. However, further investigations regarding the isolation of MVEO main compounds and investigations of their biological properties are required.

The characteristic of tinea capitis in children among dermato-venereology outpatients’ polyclinic at Sanglah General Hospital, Denpasar from 2014-2017: a preliminary study

Background: Tinea capitis is a type of dermatophytosis (skin disease) caused by the infection of dermatophytes. It is generally caused by the dermatophyte species of Microsporum and Trichophyton. It has been known to be able to spread human to human and animal to human. It is also almost commonly found in the prepubertal age and very rare among the adults of either gender. This study aims to determine the prevalence of Tinea capitis in children by age, sex, clinical manifestation, laboratory tests, and treatments.Methods: A cross-sectional observational study from the medical records of patients with Tinea capitis was conducted at Dermato-Venereology Outpatient Clinic RSUP Sanglah from 2014 to 2017. A total of 5 research variables were identified for this study: age, sex, clinical manifestation, laboratory tests, and treatment. The data was then analyzed and interpreted and further presented in forms of description, tables and graphs in this study by using SPSS version 17 for WindowsResults: A total of 32 patients were identified as having Tinea capitis from the period of 2014–2017. There was a slightly higher prevalence in the male gender (56.25%) compared with female gender (43.75%). The highest prevalence of the disease was found in the age groups of 1 – 5 and 6 – 10 years old with 43.75% respectively. Majority of the patients showed the presence of grey patch on their scalp on examination (53.13%). The dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum had the highest isolation in comparison with other dermatophytes at 25.00%. The patients were almost all treated with oral Griseofulvin.Conclusion: The majority diagnosis of Tinea capitis was found in group 1-5 and 6-10 years old and had a grey patch appearance, whereas Trichophyton rubrum as the highest isolation in comparison with other dermatophytes

Photodynamic activity of Tagetes minuta extracts against superficial fungal infections.

Candida and dermatophyte species are the most common causes of superficial mycoses because their treatment can be difficult due to limitations of current antifungal drugs in terms of toxicity, bioavailability, interactions, narrow-spectrum activity, and development of resistance. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves the topical administration of a photosensitizer in combination with light of an appropriate wavelength and molecular oxygen that produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), which promote damage to several vital components of the microorganism. Tagetes species are known as a source of thiophenes, biologically active compounds whose antifungal activity is enhanced by irradiation with UVA. The present investigation evaluated Tagetes minuta extracts as a photosensitizer on growth of Candida and dermatophytes and their effect on Candida virulence factors. T. minuta root hexane and dichloromethane extracts demonstrated high photodynamic antifungal activity. Bioautographic assays and chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of five thiophenes with reported photodynamic antifungal activities under UVA. Analysis of ROS production indicated that both type I and II reactions were involved in the activity of the extracts. In addition, the extracts inhibited virulence factors of Candida, such as adherence to epithelial surfaces and germ tube formation and showed efficacy against different Candida morphologies: budding cells, cells with germ tube and biofilms. Results suggested that PDT with T. minuta extracts might become a valuable alternative to the already established antifungal drugs for the treatment of superficial fungal infections.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel 2-substituted 1,4-benzenediol library as antimicrobial agents against clinically relevant pathogens

Development of new antimicrobial agents, capable of combating resistant and multidrug-resistant fungal and bacterial clinical strains, is necessary. This study presents the synthesis and antimicrobial screening of 42 2-substituted-1,4-benzenediols, being 10 novel compounds. In total, 23 compounds showed activity against fungi and/or bacteria. Benzenediol compounds 2, 5, 6, 8, 11, and 12 demonstrated broad spectrum antimicrobial actions, including resistant and multidrug-resistant species of dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytes), Candida spp. and the ESKAPE panel of bacteria. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of these compounds for fungi and bacterial strains ranged from 25 to 50 µg/ml and 8–128 µg/ml, respectively. The antifungal mechanism of action is related to the fungal cell wall of dermatophytes and membrane disruption to dermatophytes and yeasts, in the presence of compound 8. Specific structural changes, such as widespread thinning along the hyphae and yeast lysis, were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The effects of compound 8 on cell viability are dose-dependent; however they did not cause genotoxicity and mutagenicity in human leukocyte cells nor haemolysis. Moreover, the compounds were identified as nonirritant by the ex-vivo Hen’s egg test-chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM). The furan-1,4-benzenediol compound 5 showed in vivo efficacy to combat S. aureus infection using embryonated chicken eggs. Therefore, the compounds 8, and 5 are promising as hits for the development of new antimicrobial drugs with reduced toxicity.

Epidermophyton floccosum: nucleotide sequence analysis and antifungal susceptibility testing of 40 clinical isolates.

Purpose. Epidermophyton floccosum is an anthropophilic dermatophyte species, which is one of the common causative agents of dermatophytosis in different parts of the world. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the genetic diversity of E. floccosum strains isolated from different parts of Iran and to define the in vitro susceptibility profiles of seven antifungal drugs against these clinical isolates.Methodology. Forty clinical strains of E. floccosum isolated from 40 patients with dermatophytosis were subjected to DNA extraction and PCR amplification of the ITS rDNA region using universal primers ITS1 and ITS4. The in vitro activities of griseofulvin, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin, ketoconazole and terbinafine were determined using a broth microdilution method according to the CLSI-M-38A2 protocol.Results. A mean genetic similarity of 99.5 % was found between E. floccosum strains, with intraspecies differences ranging from 0 to 3 nt. The geometric mean (GM) MICs and minimum effective concentrations (MECs) across all isolates were, in increasing order, as follows: terbinafine (GM=0.018 mg l-1), posaconazole (GM=0.022 mg l-1), itraconazole (GM=0.034 mg l-1) and voriconazole (GM=0.045 mg l-1), which had low MICs against all tested strains, whereas caspofungin (GM=0.22 mg l-1), ketoconazole (GM=0.41 mg l-1) and griseofulvin (GM=0.62 mg l-1) demonstrated higher MICs.Conclusion. Our study showed low intraspecies variation within strains of E. floccosum. Furthermore, terbinafine, posaconazole, itraconazole and voriconazole were shown to be the most potent antifungal drugs against E. floccosum strains.

An Over View of Dermatophytosis in Camels

Dermatophytosis is a fungal infection of the skin caused by dermatophytes-filamentous fungi which have ability to invade the epidermis and keratinized tissues such as hair, skin or nails. Trichophyton verrucosum is the most common dermatophytes species isolated from camel. The disease is characterized by circumscribed crusty hairless lesion, (1-2 cm) distributed over the head, neck, shoulder, limbs and flanks. Dermatophytosis can be diagnosed by direct examination, fungal culture, skin biopsy and molecular diagnosis methods. This review forecast more light of the different aspects of this disease.

Internal Transcribed Spacer rDNA and TEF-1α Gene Sequencing of Pathogenic Dermatophyte Species and Differentiation of Closely Related Species Using PCR-RFLP of The Topoisomerase II.

Objective Precise identification of dermatophyte species significantly improves treatment and controls measures of dermatophytosis in human and animals. This study was designed to evaluate molecular tools effectiveness of the gene sequencing and DNA-based fragment polymorphism analysis for accurate identification and differentiation of closely- related dermatophyte species isolated from clinical cases of dermatophytosis and their antifungal susceptibility to the current antifungal agents. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, a total of 95 skin samples were inoculated into mycobiotic agar for two weeks at 28˚C. Morphological characteristics of the isolated dermatophytes were evaluated. DNA was extracted from the fungal culture for amplification of topoisomerase II gene fragments and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were digested by Hinf I enzyme. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA and TEF-1α regions of the all isolates were amplified using the primers of ITS1/4 and EF-DermF/EF-DermR, respectively. Results Based on the morphological criteria, 24, 24, 24 and 23 isolates were identified as T. rubrum, T. interdigitale, T. tonsurans and E. floccosum, respectively. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) results provided identification pattern of the isolates for T. rubrum (19 isolates), T. tonsurans (28 isolates), T. interdigitale (26 isolates) and E. floccosum (22 isolates). Concatenated dataset results were similar in PCR-RFLP, except six T. interdigitale isolates belonging to T. mentagrophytes. ConclusionOur results clearly indicated that conventional morphology and PCR-RFLP were not able to precisely identify all dermatophyte species and differentiation of closely related species like T. interdigitale and T. mentagrophytes, while ITS rDNA and TEF-1α gene sequence analyses provided accurate identification of all isolates at the genus and species level.