Molecular markers useful for epidemiology of dermatophytoses

Dermatophytosis is a very common skin disorder and the most prevalent infectious disease treated by dermatologists. Recent developments in molecular techniques have markedly changed methods of identifying dermatophytes, with these methods showing intraspecies polymorphisms in some molecular markers. Intraspecies subtyping and strain differentiation have made possible the tracking of infections, the identification of common sources of infections and recurrence or reinfection after treatment. This review describes methods of intraspecies differentiation using mitochondrial DNA, random amplification of polymorphic DNA, non-transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal RNA genes and microsatellite markers, as well as their usefulness and limitations.