Abstract
Contact sensitivity to extracts from Malassezia furfur (M. furfur) were studied in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). In a patch test, 75 (64) % of 118 patients with AD responded positively to M. furfur extract, compared with 1 (3%) of 40 healthy volunteers. However, no significant statistical correlations were found between contact sensitivity to the Yeast and any of the following factors: age, sex, distribution of skin lesions, presence of pruriginous papules, history of infantile seborrheic dermatitis, or concomitance of other atopic diseases. In addition, 25 (54%) of 46 patients with AD showed a immediate response to M. furfur in a prick test, whereas none of 11 healthy volunteers showed any response. There was no clear correlation between the delayed and immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Lymphocyte transformation test with M. furfur antigen confirmed that those with positive patch test reactions showed significantly higher stimulation index. Based on these results, we believe that M. furfur plays a role as an antigen derived from the host environment in the exacerbation of skin lesions of AD.
