Identification of Malassezia species in the facial lesions of Chinese seborrhoeic dermatitis patients based on DNA sequencing

• Published in: Mycoses 2014-12, Vol.57 (12), p.759-764
• Main Authors: Lian, C.-h., Shen, L.-l., Gao, Q.-y., Jiang, M., Zhao, Z.-j., Zhao, J.-j.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Dermatitis, Seborrheic - microbiology; DNA sequencing; DNA, Fungal - chemistry; DNA, Fungal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; Face - microbiology; Female; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; internal transcribed spacer; Malassezia; Malassezia - classification; Malassezia - genetics; Malassezia - isolation & purification; Malassezia species; Male; Middle Aged; seborrhoeic dermatitis; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0933-7407; 1439-0507
• DOI: 10.1111/myc.12229

Summary The genus Malassezia is important in the aetiology of facial seborrhoeic dermatitis (FSD), which is the most common clinical type. The purpose of this study was to analyse the distribution of Malassezia species in the facial lesions of Chinese seborrhoeic dermatitis (SD) patients and healthy individuals. Sixty‐four isolates of Malassezia were isolated from FSD patients and 60 isolates from healthy individuals. Sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was used to identify the isolates. The most frequently identified Malassezia species associated with FSD was M. furfur (76.56%), followed by M. sympodialis (12.50%) and M. japonica (9.38%). The most frequently isolated species in healthy individuals were M. furfur (61.67%), followed by M. sympodialis (25.00%), M. japonica (6.67%), M. globosa (3.33%), and M. obtusa (3.33%). Overall, our study revealed that while M. furfur is the predominant Malassezia species in Chinese SD patients, there is no significant difference in the distribution of Malassezia species between Chinese SD patients and healthy individuals.