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Charles W. Lynde, MD., Toronto Western Research Institute, Toronto, ON Tinea capitis is the most common fungal infection seen in children. The infection is predominantly caused by Trichophyton tonsurans, Microsporum canis, and T. violaceum. In North America and Europe Trichophyton tonsurans is responsible for more than 90% of cases. Systemic antifungal drugs griseofulvin, itraconazole, fluconazole, and terbinafine, which are very active in vitro against T. tonsurans isolates are the treatment of choice for tinea capitis. Despite their high in vitro activity, several cases of therapeutic failure have been reported resulting in a need to study the causes of therapy failure at molecular level.There are several known genetic determinants associated with multidrug resistance in fungi which are known as ABC transport proteins. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are transmembrane proteins that couple the energy of ATP hydrolysis to the selective transfer of substrates across biological membranes. The identification and characterization of these proteins at the molecular level would elucidate the multidrug resistance mechanisms in the most commonly isolated tinea capitis isolates of T. tonsurans. ©2008 |
