title: Specific and non-specific parameters of the host defence system in patients with superficial fungal infections.
abstract: Some measures of systemic host defences, i.e. white cell counts, lymphocyte subsets, delayed-type hypersensitivity and polymorphonuclear leucocyte functions, were evaluated in 42 patients suffering from cutaneous superficial mycoses and in 35 healthy volunteers. Patients were divided according to the extent of their lesions into two groups: group A (30 patients) with skin involvement > or = 30% and group B (12 patients) with skin involvement < or = 1%. No significant abnormalities in systemic defence mechanisms were observed in group B patients, whereas multiple alterations of polymorphonuclear phagocyte activities, i.e. chemotaxis, phagocytosis, mitogen-induced superoxide anion production, were observed in patients with extensive lesions. The values of these phagocytic functions remained significantly reduced (P < 0.01) in these patients after recovery and during a 6-month follow-up period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Silverio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeccara
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ubezio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Merlini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fietta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002179:Candidiasis, Cutaneous / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D014010:Tinea Versicolor / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology