Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of Malassezia species from Patients with pityriasis versicolor in Erbil Province Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of Malassezia species from Patients with pityriasis versicolor in Erbil Province

• Published in: Tikrit Journal of Pure Science Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 8 - 17
• Main Authors: Hassan, Zuber, Qurtas, Dindar Sharif Qurtas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tikrit University 25.06.2024
• Subjects: 26SrDNA sequencing; Epidemiology; Genotyping; Malassezia species; Phylogenic diagnosis
• ISSN: 1813-1662; 2415-1726
• DOI: 10.25130/tjps.v29i3.1596

Background: Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is the most common chronic superficial infection of the stratum corneum. Pityriasis versicolor is the prototypical skin disease etiologically connected to Malassezia species. Malassezia furfur is the primary causative agent of pityriasis versicolor which causes either hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation of the skin. Material and Methods: Sixty patients suffering from pityriasis versicolor disease who attended Erbil Dermatological Center, from August 2021 up to July 2023. Clinical diagnoses were done by consultant dermatologist. Thirty nine were males and Twenty-six were females. DNA has been extracted from skin scraps isolated from various body areas using the DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit (Qiagen, Germany) and it was amplified using specific primers for Malassezia strains. The amplified PCR products were sequenced commercially in both directions (Macrogen Inc. South Korea). Results: The largest proportion of infections was reported by hyperpigmentation (64.6%), followed by hypopigmentation (44.5%). The rosy-coloured lesions were present only in 8 (12.3%) of patients. Applying of polymerase chain reaction is extremely critical to verify the diagnosis of Malassezia species. Ribosomal region of sequence analysis revealed that, the sequences of 14 isolates under the accession number (MT000715 and MT000716) were (99.9%-100%) homologous to M. furfur under the accession number NG_057730 and 6 isolates under the accession number (MT000717) were (100%) homologous to M.globosa (AY743604 and AJ249951). Phylogenetic analyzes were performed to assist investigate the relationship of M.furfur and M.globosa to support these results in Erbil province. Conclusions: Phylogenetic analysis of the fourteen isolates (M.  furfur) under the accession (MT000715 and MT000716) and the remaining six isolates belonging to the M. globasa (MT000717) were  analyzed  by  MEGA  5.05  and  compared  with  sequences  of  different  Malassezia species  available  in  Gen  Bank  database,  the  data  showed  a  clear  convergence  between  our  Malassezia isolates from Erbil patients and that of the Gen Bank database.