This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Faergemann, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Faergemann, J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, October 2002, p. 545-563, Vol. 15, No. 4
0893-8512/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/CMR.15.4.545-563.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Atopic Dermatitis and Fungi

Jan Faergemann*

Department of Dermatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, itching, inflammatory skin disease which is associated with asthma and/or hay fever and a familial occurrence of these conditions. Genetic factors are important in the development of AD, but the exact hereditary pathway is still unknown. Dry skin and the weakened barrier function in patients with AD is very important for the patient's reactions to irritants and other external trigger factors including microorganisms. The standard treatments are topical corticosteroids, topical immunomodulating agents, and emollients. If AD cannot be controlled by this type of treatment, systemic immunomodulating agents may be used. UVB, UVA, or psoralen-UVA may also be used for widespread severe lesions. However, some patients do not respond to these standard treatment, and then it is important to consider the role of microorganisms, house dust mites or food. The role of the Malassezia yeasts in AD, especially AD located to the head and neck region, is now documented in several papers. There are also several papers indicating the role of Candida as an aggravating factor in AD. Patients with AD also develop chronic dermatophyte infections more easily, and patients with AD and chronic dermatophyte infections may show improvement in their AD when treated with antifungal drugs.

* Mailing address: Department of Dermatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, S-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden. Phone: 46 31 3421000. Fax: 46 31 821871. E-mail: jan.faergemann{at}derm.gu.se.

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, October 2002, p. 545-563, Vol. 15, No. 4
0893-8512/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/CMR.15.4.545-563.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Shibata, N., Saitoh, T., Tadokoro, Y., Okawa, Y. (2009). The cell wall galactomannan antigen from Malassezia furfur and Malassezia pachydermatis contains {beta}-1,6-linked linear galactofuranosyl residues and its detection has diagnostic potential. Microbiology 155: 3420-3429 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kaneko, T., Makimura, K., Abe, M., Shiota, R., Nakamura, Y., Kano, R., Hasegawa, A., Sugita, T., Shibuya, S., Watanabe, S., Yamaguchi, H., Abe, S., Okamura, N. (2007). Revised Culture-Based System for Identification of Malassezia Species. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 3737-3742 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Navarathna, D. H. M. L. P., Nickerson, K. W., Duhamel, G. E., Jerrels, T. R., Petro, T. M. (2007). Exogenous Farnesol Interferes with the Normal Progression of Cytokine Expression during Candidiasis in a Mouse Model. Infect. Immun. 75: 4006-4011 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sugita, T., Tajima, M., Tsubuku, H., Tsuboi, R., Nishikawa, A. (2006). A New Calcineurin Inhibitor, Pimecrolimus, Inhibits the Growth of Malassezia spp.. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50: 2897-2898 [Full Text]  
  • Yamaguchi, N, Sugita, R, Miki, A, Takemura, N, Kawabata, J, Watanabe, J, Sonoyama, K (2006). Gastrointestinal Candida colonisation promotes sensitisation against food antigens by affecting the mucosal barrier in mice. Gut 55: 954-960 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lopez-Garcia, B., Lee, P. H. A., Gallo, R. L. (2006). Expression and potential function of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides in dermatophytosis and tinea versicolor. J Antimicrob Chemother 57: 877-882 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sugita, T., Takashima, M., Kodama, M., Tsuboi, R., Nishikawa, A. (2003). Description of a New Yeast Species, Malassezia japonica, and Its Detection in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis and Healthy Subjects. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 4695-4699 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sugita, T., Kodama, M., Saito, M., Ito, T., Kato, Y., Tsuboi, R., Nishikawa, A. (2003). Sequence Diversity of the Intergenic Spacer Region of the rRNA Gene of Malassezia globosa Colonizing the Skin of Patients with Atopic Dermatitis and Healthy Individuals. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 3022-3027 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»