´ tude comparative pour l'identification des dermatophytes : morphologie versus identification moleculaire

SummaryObjective. — Dermatophytes are taxonomically classified in the genera Trichophyton, Micro-sporum, and Epidermophyton. Pleomorphism, cultural variability, slow growth and sporulation,and the need for additional physiological tests make dermatophytes notoriously difficult toThe present study aimed to compare the results of morphological and molecular ofcertain groups clinical isolates dermatophytes with a view to evaluatingthe accuracy of molecular methods.Patients and methods. — For each sample, the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region was amplified usingthe primers ITS1 and ITS4. PCR products were subjected to restriction fragment lengthpolymorphism (RFLP) analysis using the enzyme MvaI and isolate identification was performedby comparing the electrophoretic RFLP patterns with reference profiles obtained previously.Finally, paired comparative analyses of molecular and conventional methods were performed.Results. — While morphology results from routine daily reports of the laboratories indicatedthat 18 (6.8%) and 136 (52.10%) ofthe isolates were T. rubrumand T. interdigitale, respectively,PCR-RFLP results suggested that T. rubrum was the most common etiological agent of ringwormaccounting for94(36.01%),followedbyT. interdigitaleaccountingfor71(27.20%).Interestingly,80.8% out of the 94 isolates identified as T. rubrum by molecular testing had been identified byJournal de Mycologie Medicale (2014) xxx, xxx—xxx* Corresponding author.E-mail address: mirhendi@tums.ac.ir (H. Mirhendi).