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Journals / MANTAR DERGİSİ / 2026 / Cilt: 17 Sayı: 2

Species Distribution, Species Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility of Clinical Dermatophyte Isolates

Klinik Dermatofit İzolatlarının Tür Dağılımı, Tür Karakterizasyonu ve Antifungal Duyarlılığı

Zeynep Yazgan(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ-CERRAHPAŞA, CERRAHPAŞA TIP FAKÜLTESİ, CERRAHPAŞA TIP PR.)0000-0003-4354-3729
Gökhan Aygün(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ-CERRAHPAŞA)0000-0001-6915-9843
Nuri Kiraz(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ-CERRAHPAŞA)0000-0001-7415-190X
Zekayi Kutlubay(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ-CERRAHPAŞA)0000-0003-0809-1624
Pages
174–184
Publication Date
2026-10-22
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Overall, T. rubrum was the most frequently isolated species (48.4%), followed by T. mentagrophytes (31.7%).

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:The global epidemiology of dermatophytosis is rapidly changing due to the emergence of antifungal-resistant dermatophytes.
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Key Findings & Data:Epidemiological surveillance has highlighted the need for accurate species-level identification and interaction between clinical microbiology laboratories and clinicians for treatment decisions and early detection of resistant strains.
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Conclusion & Impact:Overall, T. rubrum was the most frequently isolated species (48.4%), followed by T. mentagrophytes (31.7%).
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2017-2018 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Dermatofitler · Geleneksel yöntemler · Tanımlama

Abstract

The global epidemiology of dermatophytosis is rapidly changing due to the emergence of antifungal-resistant dermatophytes. Epidemiological surveillance has highlighted the need for accurate species-level identification and interaction between clinical microbiology laboratories and clinicians for treatment decisions and early detection of resistant strains. This study evaluated the epidemiological characteristics, anatomical distribution, and antifungal susceptibility profiles of dermatophyte infections encountered in routine clinical practice, and also aimed to investigate the complementary roles of MALDI-TOF MS and traditional mycological methods in routine clinical practice. In the Medical Microbiology and Mycology Laboratory of Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine Hospital, 126 dermatophyte isolates obtained from clinical samples of superficial mycoses between 2017-2018 were analyzed using conventional and MALDI-TOF methods. Patients with recurrent infections underwent antifungal susceptibility testing. Tinea corporis was the predominant clinical presentation, accounting for 41.3% of cases, followed by tinea unguium (30.2%) and tinea pedis (11.9%). MALDI-TOF MS provided reliable species-level identification for 71 (56.3%) of 126 isolates, while the remaining 55 isolates (43.7%) were characterized using conventional mycological methods. Conventional methods identified 39 isolates as Trichophyton mentagrophytes, four as Microsporum canis, three as Trichophyton rubrum, two as Trichophyton tonsurans, one as Microsporum audouinii, and one as Trichophyton violaceum, while five isolates were reported as other dermatophyte species. Overall, T. rubrum was the most frequently isolated species (48.4%), followed by T. mentagrophytes (31.7%). Antifungal susceptibility testing showed variable susceptibility profiles among isolates from persistent or recurrent cases. MALDI-TOF MS and conventional phenotypic methods should be considered complementary approaches for dermatophyte identification. The significant contribution of conventional methods to species identification underscores their continued importance in routine clinical mycology laboratories, particularly in situations where commercial MALDI-TOF MS databases are incomplete. Integrating identification and susceptibility testing improves the management and monitoring of resistant dermatophytosis.

Özet

Antifungal ilaçlara dirençli dermatofitlerin ortaya çıkması nedeniyle dermatofitozun küresel epidemiyolojisi hızla değişmektedir. Epidemiyolojik sürveyans, tedavi kararları ve dirençli suşların erken tespiti için tür düzeyinde doğru tanımlama ve klinik mikrobiyoloji laboratuvarları ile klinisyenler arasındaki etkileşimin gerekliliğini vurgulamıştır. Bu çalışma, rutin klinik uygulamada karşılaşılan dermatofit enfeksiyonlarının epidemiyolojik özelliklerini, anatomik dağılımını ve antifungal duyarlılık profillerini değerlendirmeyi ve ayrıca MALDI-TOF MS ile geleneksel mikolojik yöntemlerin rutin klinik uygulamadaki tamamlayıcı rollerini araştırmayı amaçlamıştır. İstanbul Üniversitesi Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi Hastanesi Tıbbi Mikrobiyoloji ve Mikoloji Laboratuvarı'nda, 2017-2018 yılları arasında yüzeysel mikozların klinik örneklerinden elde edilen 126 dermatofit izolatı, konvansiyonel ve MALDI-TOF yöntemleri kullanılarak analiz edildi. Tekrarlayan enfeksiyonları olan hastalara antifungal duyarlılık testi uygulandı. En sık görülen klinik tablo, vakaların %41,3'ünü oluşturan tinea corporis (vücut mantarı), ardından %30,2 ile tinea unguium (tırnak mantarı) ve %11,9 ile tinea pedis (ayak mantarı) idi. MALDI-TOF MS, 126 izolatın 71'i (%56,3) için tür düzeyinde güvenilir tanımlama sağlarken, geri kalan 55 izolat (%43,7) geleneksel mikolojik yöntemler kullanılarak karakterize edildi. Konvansiyonel yöntemlerle 39 izolatın Trichophyton mentagrophytes, dördünün Microsporum canis, üçünün Trichophyton rubrum, iki tanesinin Trichophyton tonsurans, bir tanesinin Microsporum audouinii ve bir tanesinin Trichophyton violaceum olduğu, beş izolatın ise diğer dermatofit türleri olduğu bildirildi. Genel olarak T. rubrum en sık izole edilen tür (%48,4) olurken, bunu T. mentagrophytes (%31,7) izledi. Antifungal duyarlılık testleri, kalıcı veya tekrarlayan vakalardan elde edilen izolatlar arasında değişken duyarlılık profilleri gösterdi. Dermatofitlerin tanımlanmasında MALDI-TOF MS ve geleneksel fenotipik yöntemler birbirini tamamlayıcı yaklaşımlar olarak değerlendirilmelidir. Tür tanımlamasına geleneksel yöntemlerin önemli katkısı, özellikle ticari MALDI-TOF MS veritabanlarının eksik olduğu durumlarda, bu yöntemlerin rutin klinik mikoloji laboratuvarlarındaki devam eden öneminin altını çizmektedir. Tanımlama ve duyarlılık testinin entegre edilmesi, dirençli dermatofitozun yönetimini ve izlenmesini geliştirir.

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Cite This Article

Yazgan, Z., Aygün, G., Kiraz, N., Kutlubay, Z. (2026). Species Distribution, Species Characterization, and Antifungal Susceptibility of Clinical Dermatophyte Isolates. MANTAR DERGİSİ, Cilt: 17 Sayı: 2, 174–184. https://doi.org/10.30708/mantar.2005970

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