Local cytokine expression in steroid-modified tinea faciei.

In tinea faciei, a dermatophyte infection of the face, early stage lesions show erythema with crust and/or vesicles, a condition often misdiagnosed as dermatitis. Steroid application retards the healing in some cases and may induce penetration of the dermatophyte hyphae into hair and hair follicles. In the present study, we examined local immunity mediated by cytokines derived from lesional T lymphocytes in late stage of this disease. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) were highly expressed, but neither interleukin-4 (IL-4) nor interleukin-5 (IL-5) could be detected by RT-PCR using cryosections. These data suggested that IFN-gamma and MIF may be important in the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response against the fungus in the hair follicle in late stages.