Genetic susceptibility to dermatophytosis.

Clustering of cases of dermatophytosis suggests that inherited susceptibility may play a part in determining the epidemiology of some forms of this infection, notably tinea imbricata. Some studies of T. concentricum infection show that autosomal recessive susceptibility may provide an answer although this is not the case in all endemic areas. Further support comes from the association between dermatophytosis in man and inherited conditions such as atopy, chronic mucocutaneous candidosis and tylosis as well as experimental data showing that susceptibility to dermatophytosis in mice varies in different inbred strains. Possible mechanisms are discussed.