EVA LUATION OF THE ROLE OF CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY IN DERMATOPHYTOSIS

For demonstration of cell-mediated immunity and its role in the process of dermatophytosis, 98 patients with acute dermatophytosis (group I) and 131 chronic dermatophytosis patients (group 2) were chosen. In ail patients, lymphocyte transfonnation and skin test were used. 96 members of group I (98%) had positive delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to trichophytin, whereas only 43 subjects (32.8%) of group 2 had positive DTH responses. In group I, positive lymphocyte blastogenic responses to trichophytin and phytohemagglutinin were seen in 95 (96.lJ%) and lJX (100%) patients, respectively, but in group 2 the positive results were observed in4lJ (34.4%) and 127 (lJ4.9%) subjects, respectively. Patients with chronic dermatophytosis had histories of a number of systemic disorders such as: atopy 04 patients diabetes, seven patients contact dennatitis, four patients and tuberculosis, three patients.