epiglucan and Dermatomycoses

Topics: Aged; beta-Glucans; Biomarkers; Biopsy; Dermatomycoses; Humans; Leg Ulcer; Lung Transplantation; Male; Opportunistic Infections; Postoperative Complications; Pyoderma Gangrenosum; Scedosporium; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

A 73-year-old male who had been receiving immunosuppressive drugs for 15 years developed a nodule on the left buttock region. The nodule slowly grew into a 15-cm fluctuant multilocular subcutaneous cyst. Serum beta-D-glucan levels were high, and the yellow purulent fluid obtained from the cyst was positive for Trichophyton rubrum. Granuloma formation in the cyst wall and large abscesses in the central cystic area were found, and septated hyphae were observed in both tissues. The cyst was surgically removed, and followed by itraconazole treatment. Notably, the clinical manifestations closely resembled those of a huge atheroma.

Topics: Abscess; Aged; Antifungal Agents; beta-Glucans; Biomarkers; Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; Dermatomycoses; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Itraconazole; Male; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Proteoglycans; Tinea; Treatment Outcome

Malassezia species are ubiquitous residents of human skin and are associated with several diseases such as seborrheic dermatitis, tinea versicolor, folliculitis, atopic dermatitis, and scalp conditions such as dandruff. Host-Malassezia interactions and mechanisms to evade local immune responses remain largely unknown. Malassezia restricta is one of the most predominant yeasts of the healthy human skin, its cell wall has been investigated in this paper. Polysaccharides in the M. restricta cell wall are almost exclusively alkali-insoluble, showing that they play an essential role in the organization and rigidity of the M. restricta cell wall. Fractionation of cell wall polymers and carbohydrate analyses showed that the polysaccharide core of the cell wall of M. restricta contained an average of 5% chitin, 20% chitosan, 5% β-(1,3)-glucan, and 70% β-(1,6)-glucan. In contrast to other yeasts, chitin and chitosan are relatively abundant, and β-(1,3)-glucans constitute a minor cell wall component. The most abundant polymer is β-(1,6)-glucans, which are large molecules composed of a linear β-(1,6)-glucan chains with β-(1,3)-glucosyl side chain with an average of 1 branch point every 3.8 glucose unit. Both β-glucans are cross-linked, forming a huge alkali-insoluble complex with chitin and chitosan polymers. Data presented here show that M. restricta has a polysaccharide organization very different of all fungal species analyzed to date.

Topics: beta-Glucans; Cell Wall; Chitin; Chromatography, Liquid; Dermatomycoses; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Malassezia; Polysaccharides; Proteoglycans; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization