title: Molecular identification and prevalence of malassezia species in pityriasis versicolor patients from kashan, iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malassezia species are lipophilic yeasts found on the skin surface of humans and other warm-blooded vertebrates. It is associated with various human diseases, especially pityriasis versicolor, which is a chronic superficial skin disorder.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to identify Malassezia species isolated from patients' samples affected by pityriasis versicolor, using molecular methods in Kashan, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 140 subjects, suspected of having pityriasis versicolor from Kashan, were clinically diagnosed and then confirmed by direct microscopic examination. The scraped skin specimens were inoculated in modified Dixon's medium. DNA was extracted from the colonies and PCR amplification was carried out for the 26s rDNA region. PCR products were used to further restriction fragment length polymorphism by CfoI enzyme.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Direct examination was positive in 93.3% of suspected pityriasis versicolor lesions. No statistically significant difference was observed in the frequency of Malassezia species between women and men. The highest prevalence of tinea versicolor was seen in patients 21-30 years-of-age. No difference could be seen in the frequency of Malassezia species depending on the age of the patients. In total, 65% of patients with pityriasis versicolor had hyperhidrosis. The most commonly isolated Malassezia species in the pityriasis versicolor lesions were; Malassezia globosa (66%), M. furfur (26%), M. restricta (3%), M. sympodialis (3%), and M. slooffiae (2%). Malassezia species were mainly isolated from the neck and chest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed M. globosa to be the most common Malassezia species isolated from Malassezia skin disorders in Kashan, Iran. The PCR-RFLP method was useful in the rapid identification of the Malassezia species. By using these methods, the detection and identification of individual Malassezia species from clinical samples was substantially easier.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Rezvan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Talaee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Farzad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Katiraee
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghaderi
authors.affiliation: Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahzad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erami
authors.affiliation: Medical Parasitology and Mycology Department, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kazemi Alavi
authors.affiliation: Medical Parasitology and Mycology Department, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nazeri
keywords: Malassezia; Molecular diagnosis; Pityriasis versicolor