Immune responses to dermatophytoses

Abstract

Dermatophytes are exogenous pathogens that cause common superficial infections of the skin and keratinized structures arising from it, such as the hair and nails, known as tinea or dermatophytosis. While there are some fungi such as the lipophilic yeasts or Malassezia species that are part of the normal flora of the skin, dermatophytes are acquired from an external source. Dermatophytes are mould fungi which evolved from soil dwelling organisms, the keratinophilic fungi, that adapted to live in an environment where there was shed hair or skin, e.g. in the vicinity of animal homes or burrows. They adapted to invade keratin on living hosts and to cause infections on animals or humans. Dermatophytes are therefore known as geophilic, zoophilic, or anthropophilic depending on whether they originate from soil, animals, or humans, respectively.