[Fungal immunology in the skin; immune response to dermatophytes]

Infections with dermatophytes are generally confined to the keratinized stratum corneum. This superficial site of infection may protect the infecting dermatophytes from direct contact with some of the effector cells of the immune system; therefore, the immune system has developed a special subsystem in the skin to eliminate them.The innate immunity and acquired immunity (delayed-type hypersensitivity response) are both required for cutaneous immune surveillance against dermatophytes in the skin.Epidermal keratinocytes not only have an important structural role in forming a physical barrier to dermatophytes but also are important functionally in mediating cutaneous immune reactions. These cells can secrete proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and anti-microbial peptides in response to dermatophytes. The T cell-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity response to dermatophyte antigens may play a central role in both pathogenesis of the typical skin lesions and an acquired, relative resistance that affords partial immunity to the host. However, the exact form of effector T cell immunity and the cellular and molecular mechanisms which eliminate dermatophytes from the skin are poorly understood. The literature on the immunology against dermatophyte infection is reviewed in this paper.