Dermatophytosis caused by Nannizzia nana in two siblings

Background

Nannizzia nana is a zoophilic dermatophyte that affects animals like pigs, boars and, exceptionally, humans, in whom it causes tinea capitis, as well as tinea corporis and onychomycosis.

Fluorescent method for studying the morphogenesis and viability of dermatophyte cells

The dermatophyte Microsporum canis is commonly isolated from human and animal infection. The morphogenesis of this fungus was studied during its developmental stages through the fluorescent method Fluorescein Diacetate and Ethidium Bromide. To this end, 50 l dermatophyte suspension were transferred onto cellophane wrapping esterilized discs (2.5 cm of diameter) placed over the surface of Sabouraud dextrose agar on Petri dishes and incubated at 25 °C for 30 days. Every 60 minutes during the first 24 hours and every 12 hours for next 29 days, one disc was transferred onto glass slide, covered with equal volumes of freshly prepared fluorescein diacetate (FDA) and ethidium bromide (EB) solution, mounted with a coverslip and incubated in the dark for 30 minutes, at 25 °C. Each preparation was then examined on a fluorescent microscope. M. canis presented well defined growth stages: (1) tumescence of cells; (2) germination; (3) development of hyphae; (4) production of conidia and (5) tumescence and formation of arthroconidiae. Using the fluorescent method, non viable cells showed a light bright red coloration and viable cells presented green fluorescence. The principal morphological changes have occurred between the 3rd until the 18th day of culture. The method is very useful to demonstrate the dermatophyte growth stages as well as the perfect differentiation between viable and non viable cells.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

皮肤癣菌体外蛋白水解酶活性测定

目的观察皮肤癣菌的体外蛋白水解酶活性;比较分离自不同感染部位的红色毛癣菌的体外蛋白水解酶活性。方法实验菌株包括来自不同感染部位的红色毛癣菌22株、须癣毛癣菌3株、犬小孢子菌5株,进行体外培养,并利用9-羟基乙酚噻唑标识的酪蛋白和酶标仪检测真菌细胞外蛋白水解酶的活性。结果须癣毛癣菌的体外蛋白水解酶活性高于红色毛癣菌和犬小孢子菌（P〈0.05）,而红色毛癣菌和犬小孢子菌之间无差异（P〉0.05）。红色毛癣菌的细胞外蛋白水解酶活性在分离自浅部感染部位的菌株之间无差异（P〉0.05）,但高于引起毛癣菌肉芽肿的菌株（P〈0.05）。结论不同的皮肤癣菌体外蛋白水解酶活性可能不同;分离自不同感染部位的同一菌种的体外蛋白水解酶活性也有可能不同。     

浅部真菌病1948份临床标本的真菌学分析

目的 通过对浅部真菌病患者临床送检标本的病原真菌菌种进行系统分析,了解感染及病原真菌的分布情况。方法 采用直接镜检、培养及真菌鉴定等方法对临床送验标本进行检验和鉴定,大部分标本鉴定到种。结果 1948份临床送验标本中,直接涂片镜检阳性率53．41％,培养阳性率40．28％,而镜检＋培养的阳性率为66．98％。对上述3种方法的真菌检出率进行比较,均存在显著差异（χ^2检验P均〈0．005）。在培养的1944份标本中,共分离出18个属,36种真菌,其中,红色毛癣菌24．52％、须癣毛癣菌16．48％、白念珠菌12．64％。结论 ①镜检结合培养的阳性率显著高于单一的镜检或培养的阳性率。②在患者即时的真菌镜检阴性时,应选择培养方法进一步检测,不轻易排除浅部真菌病感染可能。③皮肤癣菌居患者浅部真菌病致病菌首位,而白念珠菌及酵母类菌也是重要病原菌。     

改良的KANE/FISHER系统对常见皮肤癣菌的鉴定

目的 以改良的KANE/FISHER系统对常见皮肤癣菌进行鉴定,探索建立一个临床实用的标准化皮肤癣菌鉴定系统.方法 选取KANE/FISHER鉴定系统中的6种主要培养基对皮肤癣菌ATCC株和经初步鉴定的临床株共63株进行培养鉴定.结果 改良的KANE/FISHER鉴定系统基本可以将实验菌株鉴定到种的水平.结论 改良的KANE/FISHER鉴定系统对常见皮肤癣菌能做到种的鉴定,可作为标准化鉴定方法在实验室中应用.     

某部官兵野外武装泅渡前后浅部真菌病的调查

目的 了解某部官兵平时和野外武装泅渡时浅部真菌病的发病率及病原真菌分布情况,探讨其发病原因,为采取有效的防治措施提供依据。方法 在野外武装泅渡训练前及野外武装泅渡训练2周后,均对参训官兵进行全面筛查,再取患者浅部真菌感染可能性较大的皮屑,进行真菌学的镜检及培养鉴定。结果 在896名官兵中,平时已有98例存在浅部真菌病,发病率为10．94％。其中足癣56例（57．1％）;股癣30例（36．1％）;体癣12例（12．2％）。武装泅渡时有208例发生浅部真菌病,发病率为23．21％。其中足癣有90例（43．2％）,股癣92例（44．2％）,体癣有26例（12．5％）。致病真菌主要为红色毛癣菌、须癣毛癣菌、白念珠菌等。结论 部队野外武装泅渡时参训官兵浅部真菌病的发病率较平时显著上升,可直接影响部队的训练和战斗力。     

Closely related dermatophyte species produce different patterns of secreted proteins

Dermatophytes are the most common infectious agents responsible for superficial mycosis in humans and animals. Various species in this group of fungi show overlapping characteristics. We investigated the possibility that closely related dermatophyte species with different behaviours secrete distinct proteins when grown in the same culture medium. Protein patterns from culture filtrates of several strains of the same species were very similar. In contrast, secreted protein profiles from various species were different, and so a specific signature could be associated with each of the six analysed species. In particular, protein patterns were useful to distinguish Trichophyton tonsurans from Trichophyton equinum, which cannot be differentiated by ribosomal DNA sequencing. The secreted proteases Sub2, Sub6 and Sub7 of the subtilisin family, as well as Mep3 and Mep4 of the fungalisin family were identified. SUB6, SUB7, MEP3 and MEP4 genes were cloned and sequenced. Although the protein sequence of each protease was highly conserved across species, their level of secretion by the various species was not equivalent. These results suggest that a switch of habitat could be related to a differential expression of genes encoding homologous secreted proteins.     

637例甲真菌病临床类型及致病真菌分析

目的了解637例甲真菌病患者的临床分类、致病真菌菌种构成及其分布。方法按甲真菌病诊断标准收集近3a来637例真菌培养阳性甲真菌病患者并临床分类,按真菌学分类标准诊断致病菌种类,分析各菌种在临床病种、年龄段、性别等的分布。结果临床分型以远端侧位甲下型为主(72.06%)。菌种构成为皮肤癣菌占69.39%、酵母菌占18.68%、非皮肤癣菌霉菌占11.93%。皮肤癣菌中红色毛癣菌353株(79.86%),酵母菌中白念珠菌67株(56.30%),非皮肤癣菌中以青霉和曲霉为主。致病菌种的分布在不同年龄段及性别间存在差异,但均以皮肤癣菌为主。结论甲真菌病的临床类型以远端侧位甲下型为主,红色毛癣菌为优势致病菌。     

Phylogenetic relation of Epidermophyton floccosum to the species of Microsporum and Trichophyton in chitin synthase 1 (CHS1) gene sequences

The Nucleotide sequence of the chitin synthase1 (CHS1) gene of Epidermophyton floccosum, an anthrophophilic dermatophyte which is the type species of the genus Epidermophyton was analyzed to determine its phylogenetic relation to eight other dermatophyte species belonging to the genera Microsporum and Trichophyton, which were sequenced in our previous studies. A genomic DNA fragment about 620 bp in length of the CHS1 genewas amplified from E. floccosum by polymerasechain reaction (PCR) and was sequenced. The CHS1 nucleotide sequence showed more than 85% similarity with sequences derived from the other dermatophytes. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequences from E. floccosum revealed that the genus Epidermophyton may be genetically distinct from Microsporum and Trichophyton. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Keratinophilic fungi of poultry farm and feather dumping soil in Tamil Nadu,India

Soils of 10 poultry farms from Namakkal and 12 feather dumping sites from Chennai were studied for the presence of keratinophilic fungi. A total of 34 species belonging to 19 genera and one non-sporulating fungus were recovered. Sixteen species of fungi and one non-sporulating fungi were common to both sites, eight species were specific to Namakkal and nine species were specific to Chennai. Dermatophytes and closely related fungi were represented by six species belonging to five genera. Fungal species commonly found in the soil samples included Chrysosporium keratinophilum (73%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (68.2%), Microsporum gypseum (64%), Myceliopthora vellerea (32%), Chrysosporium state of Arthroderma tuberculatum (27.3%) and Geomyces pannorum (23%). Non-dermatophyte fungi were represented by 28 species belonging to 14 genera and one non-sporulating fungus.