| DB ID | MyCo_2185 |
| Title | Low DEFB4 copy number and high systemic hBD-2 and IL-22 levels are associated with dermatophytosis |
| Year | 2014 |
| PMID | 25178103 |
| Fungal Diseases involved | Dermatophytosis |
| Associated Medical Condition | None |
| Genus | Trichophyton |
| Species | rubrum |
| Organism | Trichophyton rubrum |
| Ethical Statement | This cross-sectional study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Jena University (no. 1940-01/07) and the protocol was in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki Principles, with all individuals providing signed, informed consent before participation. Subjects were enrolled at the Department of Dermatology from November 2009 to January 2014 and were interviewed and examined by two experienced dermatologists. |
| Site of Infection | Eye |
| Opportunistic invasive | Opportunistic |
| Sample type | Body fluid |
| Sample source | Serum |
| Host Group | Human |
| Host Common name | Human |
| Host Scientific name | Homo sapiens |
| Biomarker Name | DEFB4 |
| Biomarker Full Name | Defensin beta 4 |
| Biomarker Type | Diagnostic |
| Biomolecule | Gene |
| Geographical Location | Germany |
| Cohort | Subjects were enrolled at the Department of Dermatology from November 2009 to January 2014 and were interviewed and examined by two experienced dermatologists. All efforts were made to reduce phenotypic heterogeneity by applying stringent criteria to the patient selection process. All participants were unrelated German Caucasians greater than equal 18 years of age. They had no history or current manifestation of systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus; no atopic or skin disorders other than the suspected fungal skin infection (cases with T. rubrum infection); no HIV infection; were not pregnant and had not used antibiotics or immunosuppressants within the previous 3 months; had no history of or were not currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy or treatment with antifungal medication; had no trauma at the site of infection (for cases); were nonsmokers; and had good body hygiene, with feet being washed on a daily basis. Patients were diagnosed on the basis of the presence of clinical signs of dermatophytosis and on mycologic evidence defined as a fungal culture positive for T. rubrum. Clinical signs of dermatophytosis were confirmed by direct microscopic examination of samples with 10–20% potassium hydroxide and by culture on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar with chloramphenicol (0.05%) and cycloheximide (0.5%) or Sabouraud’s dextrose agar with chloramphenicol but without cycloheximide. Diagnosis was confirmed only when both clinical and laboratory criteria were met. Microbiological tests were performed at Fungus Laboratory, Department of Dermatology, Jena University Hospital. Patients were divided into subgroups according to clinical presentation: tinea corporis (ringworm on the trunk); tinea cruris (ringworm of the groin); tinea pedis (athlete’s foot); tinea unguium (onychomycosis and nail infections); and patients with lesions at multiple sites, such as tinea pedis and unguium, tinea pedis and manus/manuum, or tinea manus/ manuum with infected fingernails. Pooling subgroups together yielded the combined group of patients. Controls and cases were frequency matched for age and sex (Supplementary Table S1 online). Controls were recruited after cases were enrolled, as the distribution of matching factors—i.e., age and sex—was not known in advance. Controls were examined physically to exclude clinical signs of dermatophytosis. A total of 442 unrelated German Caucasian participants comprising 247 dermatophytosis patients (121 female and 126 male patients) and 195 controls (92 female and 103 male patients) were included in the study. |
| Cohort No. | 442 |
| Age Group | 18 and above |
| P Value | p<0.0001 |
| Sensitivity | None |
| Specificity | None |
| Positive Predictive Value | None |
| MIC | None |
| Fold Change | None |
| Pathway | None |
| Disease Introduction Mechanism | Dermatophytosis (Tinea) is a dermatophytic fungal infection of keratinized tissues. Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) is the major etiologic agent for superficial dermatophytosis worldwide, and it can adhere to and invade superficial keratinized tissue via carbohydrate-specific adhesins and by secreting several kinds of keratinolytic proteases. However, not all individuals are equally susceptible to dermatophytic infections, which is dependent on the interplay of dermatophytes with environmental and host factors. Epidemiological studies have identified many predisposing factors for infection, such as diabetes mellitus, psoriasis vulgaris, advanced age, and previous injury to the nails. Family history is also believed to be a risk factor, and pedigree analysis has shown autosomal dominant inheritance of T. rubrum susceptibility. |
| Technique | ELISA |
| Analysis Method | ELISA Based |
| ELISA kits | ELISA Kit (Beta Defensin-2 Kit with a detection limit of 7.8 pgml_1; Phoenix Europe GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany), ELISA Kit (Human IL-22 Kit, with a detection limit of 2.7 pgml_1; R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN) |
| Assay Data | None |
| Validation Techniques used | ELISA |
| Up Regulation Down Regulation | Decrease |
| Sequence Data | GenBank: AF040153.1 |
| External Link | None |
