High prevalence of mixed infections in global onychomycosis

PLoS One. 2020 Sep 29;15(9):e0239648. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239648. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Onychomycosis is estimated at a prevalence of 10% worldwide with the infecting organism most commonly Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum). Traditional culture identification of causative organisms has inherent risks of overestimating dermatophytes, like T. rubrum, by inhibiting the growth of possible nondermatophyte mould (NDM) environmental contaminants which could be causative agents. Recently, molecular methods have revealed that a proportion of onychomycosis cases in North America may be caused by mixed infections of T. rubrum as an agent co-infecting with one or more NDM. Determining the global burden of mixed infections is a necessary step to evaluating the best therapies for this difficult-to-treat disease. To determine the prevalence of mixed infections in a global population, nail samples from onychomycosis patients in Brazil, Canada, and Israel (n = 216) were analyzed by molecular methods for the presence of dermatophytes and five NDMs. If an NDM was detected, repeat sampling was performed to confirm the NDM. T. rubrum was detected in 98% (211/216) of infections with 39% mixed (84/216). The infection type was more likely to be mixed in samples from Brazil, but more likely to be a dermatophyte in samples from Canada and Israel (Χ2 = 16.92, df = 2, P<0.001). The most common cause of onychomycosis was T. rubrum. In all countries (Brazil, Canada and Israel combined) the prevalence of dermatophyte (Χ2 = 211.15, df = 3, P<0.001) and mixed (dermatophyte and NDM; Χ2 = 166.38, df = 3, P<0.001) infection increased with patient age. Our data suggest that mixed infection onychomycosis is more prevalent than previously reported with the aging population being at increased risk for mixed infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Arthrodermataceae / genetics
  • Arthrodermataceae / isolation & purification
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Canada / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Coinfection / diagnosis*
  • Coinfection / epidemiology
  • Coinfection / microbiology
  • DNA, Fungal / isolation & purification
  • DNA, Fungal / metabolism
  • Female
  • Foot Dermatoses / diagnosis
  • Foot Dermatoses / epidemiology
  • Foot Dermatoses / microbiology
  • Global Burden of Disease
  • Humans
  • Israel / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Onychomycosis / diagnosis*
  • Onychomycosis / epidemiology
  • Onychomycosis / microbiology
  • Prevalence
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • DNA, Fungal

Supplementary concepts

  • Trichophyton rubrum

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work. Mediprobe Research is the research group founded and funded soley by Dr. Gupta. There is no external funding. The study was funded solely by Dr. Gupta in its entirety. In Canada some of the doctors set up Research Groups through which their research is performed. Cosmetic Dermatology and Laser Center (Delcentro) is the name of the clinic that was founded by Dr. Taborda and Dr Taborda. This clinic is self-funded in its entirety by these doctors; there is no external funding.