• Journal of Mycology and Infection
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.99-104
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• 2018

Background: Trichophyton verrucosum (T. verrucosum) is a zoophilic dermatophyte that causes ringworm in cattle and is prevalent worldwide. This dermatophyte may be responsible for various conditions, especially inflammatory skin lesions. Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of T. verrucosum infections in southeastern Korea. Methods: A total of 34 patients who visited the Catholic Skin Clinic and the Kyungpook National University Hospital in Daegu, Korea from 2005 to 2017 were diagnosed with T. verrucosum infection. The diagnosis was confirmed using fungal culture. The data were based on a retrospective survey of the medical records. Results: The annual incidence of T. verrucosum infection was very low. There was no difference in the sexual incidence. T. verrucosum infection was most common among subjects in their fifties and sixties. The highest incidence was during the month of September. The arm was most frequently involved, followed by the face. This infection was predominant in patients living in rural areas. Conclusion: These clinicoepidemiological findings provide useful information for understanding the changes in the infection caused by T. verrucosum. In particular, it was interesting to note that the incidence was very low, majority of the affected subjects were in their fifties and sixties, and the most commonly affected site was the arm.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.367-371
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• 2019

In this study, the author observed the fungal characteristics of T. verrucosum which is commonly known as the cattle ringworm fungus in the farms of Hoengseong, Gangwon-do. After isolating 20 strains of T. verrucosum from cattle, they were cultured on SDA, PDA media and the fungal characteristics were concluded through visual observation of the colonies, microscopic findings, hair perforation test and urease test. The size of the colonies cultured on SDA media at 37 C was on an average 5 mm at 1 week, 33 mm at 2 weeks, 42 mm at 3 weeks and 58 mm after 4 weeks. Observing the characteristics of the colonies, 17 strains of T. album showing central bold radial folds, 2 strains of T. ochraceum having l throughout the colonies and 1 strain of T. discoides with rapid growth rate and gray-white cotton patterns were found. On microscopic observations of the cultured colonies on SDA, PDA media, macroconidia and microconidia were not found in T. verrucosum and hyphae and chlamydospore were only seen in T. album types. Out of 20 strains of T. verrucosum, hair perforation test was positive on only 3 strains and urease test was positive on all of the 20 strains.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.439-445
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• 2017

In recent years, change in life patterns gave rise to an increase in the number of families with companion animals, and as a result, frequent dermatophytes infections have been reported. Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton verrucosum, are among these species of zoophilic dermatophytes. Trichophyton mentagrophytes are transmitted to humans by contact with wild animals. Infection from it causes strong inflammation in humans. Conversely, Trichophyton verrucosum is transmitted by contact with cattles. Microsporum canis will become latent carriers in cats or dogs, causing infectious diseases when it comes in contact with humans. We investigated zoophilic dermatophytes isolated according to annual, sex, age, season, body sites, and clinical types between 2010 and 2016. According to our results, the isolation rate of zoophilic dermatophytes was 0.37%, among which, 88 T. mentagrophytes, 228 Microsporum canis, and 18 Trichophyton verrucosum were isolated in human. It is interesting to note that Microsporum canis has been on the rise since 2014. Microsporum canis and Trichophyton verrucosum were highly isolated in females, but T. mentagrophytes was isolated similarly in both sexes. According to an age-based survey, the isolation rate was higher in children younger than 10 years. Our results is a valuable data for predicting and studying the isolation of zoophilic dermatophytes in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.39-45
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• 1973

The majority of drugs used in the treatment of superficial fungal infections has limited values due to its low efficacy or development of resistance. For the purpose of searching efficacious agent on the superficial fungal infections induced by dermatophytes which is regarded as the most malicious one, authors examined whether Chinae Rhizoma Extracts have significant on it. Extracts from Smilax china Linne used for the study are water extract (CRWE), ethanol extract (CREE) and methanol extract (CRME). In in vitro studies, the spores of the dermatophytes were inoculated on Sabouraud's glucose agar media which contained three extracts of Chinae Rhizoma in each concentration of $500\;{\mu}g/ml$, $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ respectively, and also $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ of salicylic acid and undecylenic acid $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ as comparable drugs. The growth of the dermatophytes were observed for 3 weeks. The species of the dermatophytes used in this experiment were Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis, Microsporum cookei, Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum nanum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton tonsurans and Trichophyton verrucosum distributed from The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium. The results of the studies were as follows: 1. The growth of M. canis, M. nanum, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans were slightly inhibited in CRWE $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ and CRWE $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$, and only slight inhibition on the growth of E. floccosum, M. canis and M. gypseum were observed in CRWE $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. 2. Complete inhibition of T. rubrum, moderate inhibition of M. nanum & T. tonsurans, and slight inhibition of E. floccosunl, M. canis, M. cookei & T. mentagrophytes in growth were observed in concentration of CREE $500\;{\mu}g/ml$. The growth of M. gypseum was slightly inhibited, moderate inhibition on the growth of M. canis, M. cookei & T. mentagrophytes, and complete inhibition of E. floccosum, M. nanum, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans in growth were observeed by CREE $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. With $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ of CREE, the growth of E. floccosum, M. canis, M. cookei, M. gypseum, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans were completely inhibited except T. verrucosum being showed slight inhibition. 3. In CRME $500\;{\mu}g/ml$, slight inhibition of T. verrucosum, moderate inhibition of M. gypseum and complete inhibition of E. floccosum, M. canis, M. cookei, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans in growth were observed. The growth of E. floccosum, M. canis, M. cookei, M. gypseum, M. nanum, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans were completely inhibited except T. verrucosum being showed moderate inhibition in both CRME $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ and CRME $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. 4. In $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ of undecylenic acid, slight inhibition of T. verrucosum and complete inhibition of E, floccosum, M. canis, M. cookei, M. gypseum, M. nanum, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans in growth were observed. From the above results, it was found that Chinas Rhizoma Alcoholic Extracts(CREE & CRME) exerted significant antifungal activity, and their effects were probably derived from the pharmacological actions of triterpenoidal saponin and steroidal saponin.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.118-122
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• 2005

An epidemiological study was performed on zoophilic dermatophytes. The number of patients with zoophilic dermatophytes diagnosed on clinical findings and culture at the Catholic Dermatological Clinic in Daegu City were 1,339 for 10 years from January 1995 to December 2004. Species of zoophilic dermatophytes isolated from 47,925 patients with dermatophytes were as follows; Trichophyton(T.) rubrum was isolated from 43,702 (91.2%), T. interdigitale 2,660 (5.6%), Epidermophyton(E.) floccosum 43 (0.1%), T. tonsurans 131 (0.3%), T. mentagrophytes 625 (1.3%), T. verrucosum 56 (0.2%), Microsporum(M.) canis 658 (1.4%), and M. gypseum 50 (0.1%). Zoophilic dermatophytes infections were chiefly Tinea facial in the cases of T. mentagrphytes and Tinea corporis in the cases of T. verrucosum, but Tinea capitis in the cases of M. canis. Number of patients with zoophilic dermatophytes by site and age were as follows; Most patients with infected scalps were young people under 15 years old. Infection of the trunk area (neck,chest,back) and extremities (arms, legs, hands, feet) were relatively high in those patients over 15 years old. M. canis were most frequently isolated in autumn and winter, and T. mentagrophyts and T. verrucosum were mostly in spring and winter.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.47-57
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• 1989

T. verrucosum infection has been reported for the first time in 1986 in Korea and has been increasing progressively. To evaluate the progress of clinical and histopathological change of dermatophytosis caused by T. verrucosum, inoculation study, using T. verrucosum isolated from infected human(human strain) and from infected cattle(cattle strain), was done in 24 male albino Hartley guinea pig. Their clinical and histopathological changes were evaluated. In addition, comparison for the growth rate between human strain and cattle strain on Sabouraud's glucose agar was made. The results were as follows: 1. Growth rate on Sabouraud's glucose agar : Cattle strain showed significantly more rapid growth rate than human strain on Sabouraud's glucose rate at $25^{\circ}C$ and $37^{\circ}C$. And cattle strain showed more rapid growth rate at $37^{\circ}C$ than $25^{\circ}C$. But human strain showed no significant difference of growth rate at both temperature. 2. Clinical findings: Initial erythema, scale and crust were developed about 8th after inoculation. All three findings reached maximum severity about 12th to 16th day and disappeared about 30th to 34th day after inoculation. There was no significant difference in progress of erythema, scale and crust between cattle strain and human strain. 3. Histopathological findings: Although mild acanthosis was noticed on the 3rd day after inoculation, the other findings including parakeratosis, intraepidermal abscess, spongiosis and vascular change, cellular infiltration were found on 9th day after inoculation. They reached maximum severity on the 12th day and lasted to the 25th day after inoculation. After that, all three findings were decreased gradually between 29th day and 33th day. On the PAS stainings, hyphae and spores were found on the 6th day and disappeared on the 21th day after inoculation. 4. In trichophytin skin test, all of the 24 guinea pigs became positive within average $9.83{\pm}1.17$ lays. These findings suggested that dermatophytosis caused by T. verrucosum induced rapid cell mediated immunity and contributed to rapid resolution of the lesion.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.118-123
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• 2022

A dermatophyte is a zoonotic infection that causes infection on the skin, hair, and nails and is transmitted through contact. The species of Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton are the major dermatophytes that infect humans. Tinea capitis is a dermatophyte infection in the scalp, and it may progress to kerion celsi, including severe redness, swelling, and pus formation. Kerion celsi is sometimes misdiagnosed as a bacterial infection or a tumor. Trichophyton verrucosum is a zoophilic dermatophyte that mainly causes infection in cattle. It can be spread to dairy farmers or ranchers who have frequent contact with infected cattle. We report a pediatric case who received scalp tumor excision and a split-thickness skin graft for extensive and severe inflammatory scalp tumors that occurred after contact with cattle with ringworm. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with kerion celsi caused by T. verrucosum infection. This was based on the patient's medical history, clinical manifestations, and histopathologic findings.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 2003

The present study was conducted to examine the outbreak state of bovine dermatophytosis in 14 farms(4 dairy farms, 10 Korean indigenous cattle farms) in Gyeongbuk province from November 2000 to November 2001. The causative agents of dermatophytosis was identified by mycological examination. Antifungal susceptibility test of 26 isolates was performed by agar dilution method, using 5 antifungal drugs. Prevalence of bovine dermatophytosis was found to be 13.5%(90/665) in dairy cattle farms and 14.5%(220/1,520) in Korean indigenous cattle farms. The most common age at which this disease occurred was 2-12 months. This disease usually occurred from winter to spring and the occurrence subsequently decreased in the summer. But 4 Korean indigenous cattle farms with poorly hygienic status were occurred all the year round. The causative agent was identified as Trichophyton verrucosum exclusively in these case. Antifungal susceptibility test of T verrucosum (26 strains) was performed by agar dilution method, using 5 antifungal drugs including tolnaftate, griseofulvin, ketoconazole, amphotericin B and terbinafine. All isolates were highly sensitive to 5 antifungal drugs (geometric mean MICs 0.004∼0.032 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$). The isolates were the most sensitive to especially tolnaftate.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.363-370
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• 2002

For the development of diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to fungal infection by dermatophytes Trichophyton and Microsporum, detection of the fungal DNA by PCR and analysis of the DNA pattern were undertaken in the present study. A total of 15 strains were tested and those consisted of 3 reference strains and 12 isolates such as: reference strains of T mentagrophytes (downy type, ATCC 9533), T rubrum (IFO 6204) and M gypseum (ATCC 9083), and each isolate of T mentogrophytes (powdery type), T mentagrophytes (granular type), T mentogrophytes (purple-red type), T rubrum, T raubitschekii, T tonsurans, T equinum, T ajelloi, T verrucosum, M cookei, M nanum and M gypseum. The DNA were purely isolated from all strains of Trichophyton spp. and Microsporum spp. by a simple method partly consisted of disruption of fungal cells by lyophilization and grinding and extraction of fungal DNA without phenol treatment which is a routine procedure in DNA isolation. For the detection of fungal DNAs, optimal condition of PCR was determined as preheating once at $94^{\circ}C$ for 5 min, 35 cycles of denaturation at $94^{\circ}C$ for 1 min, annealing at $38^{\circ}C$ for 1 min and polymerization at $72^{\circ}C$ for 2 min, and 1 cycle of final extension at $72^{\circ}C$ for 5 min. In PCR using arbitrary primers AP-1 (5' ACCCGACCTG3') and AP-2 (5' ACGGGCCAGT3'), DNAs in various numbers and sizes were detected from different species of Trichophyton and Microsporum, while DNAs in similar size were also detected in all strains of Trichophyton spp. and Microsporum spp. There were unique DNAs observed from certain dermatophytes by AP-1 such as 1,900 bases in T rubrum, 950 and 1,100 bases in T raubitscheldi, 2,100 bases in T equinum, 400 bases in T verrucosum and 1,150 bases in M gypseum. The unique DNAs were also observed by AP-2 such as 1,200 bases in T ajelloi, 250 bases in T verrucosum, 1,150 bases in M cookei and 2,000 bases in M nanum. The results indicated that PCR can detect a specific DNA from certain Trychophyton and Microsporum spp, which can be the information for further development of diagoomc PCR to dennatophytes.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 1973

Although numerous drugs are available for the treatment of superficial fungi infections of skin, the clinical effects of the majority of such drugs are not satisfactory. In the hope of searching the effective drugs for superficial fungi infections, authors studied whether Veratrum rhizoma extracts had any effect on fungi, with water extract (VRWE), ethanol extract (VREE) and methanol extract (VRME) from Veratrum album L. var. grandiflorum Max. In in vitro studies, the spores of fungi were inoculated on Sabouraud's glucose agar media which contained three extracts of Veratrun rhizoma in each concentration of $500\;{\mu}g/ml$, $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ respectively, and the growth of the fungi were observed for 3 weeks. The species of the fungi used in these experiments were Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis, Microsporum nanum, Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum cookei, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton tonsurans and Trichophyton verrucosum. The results of the studies were as follows: 1. The growth of M. canis, M. nanum, T mentagrophytes and T. tonsurans were slightly inhibited by VRWE $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$, and with VRWE $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$, the growth of E. floccosum, M. gypseum and T. rubrum were slightly inhibited, moderate inhibition on the growth of M. canis, M. nanum, M. cookei, T. mentagrophytes and T. tonsurans were showed by VRWE $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. 2. With $500\;{\mu}g/ml$ of VREE, the inhibition on growth of E. floccosum, M. nanum and M. gypseum were slight, however significant inhibition on the growth of M. canis, M. cookei, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum and T. tonsurans were observed. The growth of M. nanum and M. gypseum were moderately inhibited, and significant inhibition on the growth of E. floccosum, M. canis, M. cookei, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum and T. tonsurans were observed by VREE $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. By VREE $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$, the growth of all tested fungi were significantly inhibited except T. verrucosuia being showed slight inhibition. 3. Significant inhibition on the growth of M. canis, T, mentagrophytes, T. rubrum and T. tonsurans were noted, and moderate inhibition of M. nanum, slight inhibition of E. floccosum and M. gypseum in growth were observed by VRME $500\;{\mu}g/ml$. The growth of E. floccosum, M. canis, M. nanum, M. cookei, T. mentsgrophytes, T. rubrum and T. tonsurans were significantly inhibited by VRME $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$, and that of M. gypseum was moderate. With $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ of VRME, significant inhibition on the growth of E. floccosum, M. canis, M. nanum, M. gypseum, M. cookei, T mentagrophytes, T. rubrum and T. tonsurans were observed, and T. verrucosum was showed only slight inhibition. From the above results, it was found that the extracts of organic solvents from Veratrum rhizoma (VREE & VRME) exerted significant antifungal activity, and their effects were probably derived from the pharmacological action of steroidal alkaloids.