ADHERENCE OF MALASSEZIA-FURFUR TO HUMAN STRATUM-CORNEUM CELLS IN-VITRO - A STUDY OF HEALTHY-INDIVIDUALS AND PATIENTS WITH SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS

The role of Malassezia furfur adherence to human stratum corneum cells in vitro was studied. The adherence assay was performed with one stra in of M. furfur and stratum corneum cells from 30 healthy individuals and from 28 patients with seborrhoeic dermatitis. Stratum corneum cell s from patients with seborrhoeic dermatitis contained significantly lo wer numbers of adherent M. furfur cells than cells from healthy indivi duals. No correlation was found with sex or age. The adherence assay w as also performed with stratum corneum cells from one healthy individu al and M. furfur strains from 15 patients with seborrhoeic dermatitis and 13 healthy controls. Malassezia furfur strains from patients with seborrhoeic dermatitis showed the same in vitro capacity for adherence to stratum corneum cells as strains from healthy individuals. This in vitro study does not indicate that M. furfur adherence to human strat um corneum cells is of importance in the pathogenesis of seborrhoeic d ermatitis.