Molecular epidemiology of Tinea gladiatorum in contact sports in northern Iran

Abstract

Summary Background Tinea gladiatorum as the major health concern among combat athletes and the most common cause of a decrease in the quality of their sports activities. Objectives This study aimed to determine the molecular epidemiology of tinea gladiatorum in contact sports in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran. Materials/Methods In total, 631 suspected athletes out of 4240 ones were screened for tinea gladiatorum in this cross‐sectional study from May 2018 to February 2019. The infection was confirmed by direct microscopy and culture tests. The causative agents were identified by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism method on ITS rDNA region. The indoor environmental factors were evaluated in 81 sports halls in terms of temperature (°C), humidity (%), density (m2/athletes) and the number of ventilators. Results Tinea gladiatorum was confirmed in 6.5% (278/4240) of the athletes. Tinea corporis was the most common type of tinea (192/278; 69.0%), and 175 cases (27.7%) had more than one type of tinea. Moreover, Trichophyton tonsurans (192/203; 94.5%) was the most aetiological agent in all athletes followed by Microsporum canis (6/203; 2.9%), Trichophyton rubrum (2/203; 0.9%) and Trichophyton interdigitale (1/203; 0.4%). There was no significant association between the prevalence of tinea gladiatorum and the indoor environmental factors. Conclusion T. tonsurans is the most common agent of tinea gladiatorum in Northern Iran. Since no positive culture of dermatophyte was obtained from mats, it seems that skin‐to‐skin contact would be the most probable mode of transmission among wrestlers. Accordingly, periodical checkups should be considered by health care providers.

In vitro activities of antifungal drugs against a large collection of Trichophyton tonsurans isolated from wrestlers

“…All isolates were cultured on Mycobiotic Agar (Difco) for 2‐3 weeks in the dark at 27‐30°C. The isolates were identified at the species level based on both morphological characteristics and amplification and restriction digestion of the internal transcribed spacer rDNA region by using the PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) method 9 . Randomly selected isolates were reconfirmed by DNA sequencing of the ITS rDNA region.…”

“…T tonsurans is an anthropophilic fungus, with a worldwide distribution, causing inflammatory to chronic non‐inflammatory finely scaling lesions of skin, scalp and nails. T tonsurans has been reported to cause several tinea gladiatorum outbreaks 4,9,10 …”

Genetic Predisposition and its Heredity in the Context of Increased Prevalence of Dermatophytoses

“…The discrepancies in these results were related to the rapid turnover of personnel in military establishments, which often did not ensure sufficient time for any species to become dominant [ 78 ]. Moreover, the prevalence of fungal skin infections is also high in contact sports, with tinea gladiatorum in wrestlers as a frequently cited example [ 70 , 82 ]. However, a higher rate of dermatophytosis was observed in athletes under 15 years old [ 82 , 83 ].…”

“…Moreover, the prevalence of fungal skin infections is also high in contact sports, with tinea gladiatorum in wrestlers as a frequently cited example [ 70 , 82 ]. However, a higher rate of dermatophytosis was observed in athletes under 15 years old [ 82 , 83 ]. Probably, the high levels of the fungistatic action of steroid hormones occurring after puberty may reduce the incidence of tinea gladiatorum in the older age range despite continuation of the wrestling activity [ 83 ].…”

Tinea capitis et barbae caused by Trichophyton tonsurans: A retrospective cohort study of an infection chain after shavings in barber shops

“…Infections with the anthropophilic dermatophyte Trichophyton (T) tonsurans have been described worldwide, mainly in the context of martial arts and other contact sports 1 which require proximity between the athletes. Here, the pathogen regularly triggers local and supra‐regional outbreaks of tinea corporis in sports clubs but also during competitions, which is why the disease caused by this dermatophyte is also called ‘Tinea gladiatorum’ 2,3 .…”