title: Cutaneous Malassezia flora in atopic dermatitis differs between adults and children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malassezia species are suspected to be involved in the development of skin lesions in atopic dermatitis (AD) when the response of adult AD to anti-inflammatory treatments is poor. However, a comparative analysis of Malassezia flora between adults and children with AD has not been performed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the cutaneous Malassezia flora between adults and children with AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scale samples were collected from skin lesions of 58 patients with AD in the head and neck regions (28 males and 30 females; 31 children and 27 adults), and fungal DNA was extracted from the samples directly. The number and identities of the Malassezia species were analysed with high accuracy using a polymerase chain reaction-based culture-independent method. The in vivo level of anti-Malassezia IgE antibody was also assayed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Malassezia restricta was the predominant species in the children with AD, while both M. restricta and M. globosa predominated in the adults. The adults showed increased sensitization in terms of anti-Malassezia-specific IgE responses in the sera to both M. globosa and M. restricta in comparison with the children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cutaneous Malassezia flora differs significantly between the two age groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiruma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000382:microbiology*; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008290:Malassezia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*