role of IL-4 and IL-8 in the etiology of Tinea versicolor in group of Iraqi patients

ABSTRACT

Tinea versicolor is a common dermatological problem, world wide distribution, caused by a dimorphic fungus called Malassezia furfur, it lives normally on skin as a commensal. Many factors play a role in the etiology of TV among these could be the disturbed immune system which may be related to the ability of TV to alter the immune system by a process called Immunomodulation leading to subsequent infection. Immuno-inflammatory activity mediated by different cytokines could have a role in the etiology of TV. To evaluate the serum level of the inflammatory cytokines, IL-4 and IL-8, in patients with TV as compared to immunocompromized patients and healthy groups. This study enrolled 50 total patients, 15 of them were as patients control group who were immunocompromized with evident skin lesion, to be compared serologically with 15 patients who had TV and normal immunity, the control group composed of 20 healthy volunteers. Using ELISA test technique the following tests were done detection of IL-4 and IL-8 in the sera of all groups. The statistical differences in the rate of detectable IL-4 level between TV and healthy control P< 0.001, while the difference was highly significant between the healthy control and immunocompromized patients with TV, P<0.00338. The difference between the two diseased groups was [P< 0.219] which is non significant, when p<0.05 was considered significant. IL-8 the results of our study showed a significant difference between the healthy control and the patients with tinea versicolor, p-value was [0.05]. In this study there was a nice finding by which the difference between the healthy control and the immunocompromized patients was highly significant as, p<0.005. The genus Malassezia is an immunological paradox. In some circumstances, it acts as an adjuvant, activates the complement cascade, and elicits both cellular and humoral immune responses in healthy individuals, among which IL8 and IL-4 were notably increased. In contrast, it also seems to have the ability not only to evade the immune system but actually to suppress the response directed against it