IMBALANCE OF IMMUNE-RESPONSES IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC AND WIDESPREADFUNGAL SKIN INFECTION

Fungal infections of the skin are caused by dermatophyte fungi. Infect ions can be acute and inflammatory or chronic and non-inflammatory; it is believed that cell-mediated immunity is the cornerstone of host de fence and is instrumental in the eradication of the infection. We desc ribe here parameters of the immune response of a group of patients who although not immunocompromised, suffered from widespread and chronic infections. All patients lacked a specific delayed-type hypersensitivi ty (DTH) response; however, their in vitro lymphocyte proliferation in response to Trichophyton rubrum extract and to other fungal antigens was normal. The patients were not atopic by clinical history, and yet had high levels of non-specific IgE and of T. rubrum-specific IgG4. Ta ken together, the results of this study suggest that the group of pati ents studied suffered from an immune imbalance which has characteristi cs of a Th2-type response.