Cytokine secretion profiles of human keratinocytes during Trichophyton tonsurans and Arthroderma benhamiae infections

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Abstract
Dermatophytes cause intractable superficial infections in humans.Arthroderma benhamiae, a zoophilic dermatophyte, triggers severe inflammatory responses in humans, whileTrichophyton tonsurans, an anthropophilic dermatophyte, triggers minimal ones. Cytokines and other factors derived from keratinocytes play important roles in inflammatory and immune responses in the skin. The authors performed anin vitroinvestigation to determine the human keratinocyte cytokine profiles during dermatophyte infection. The human keratinocyte cell line PHK16-0b was infected withA. benhamiaeorT. tonsuransfor 24 h, and the cytokines secreted were analysed using a human cytokine antibody array. Marked differences were observed in the cytokine profiles of the cells infected with the two dermatophytes.A. benhamiaeinfection resulted in the secretion of a broad spectrum of cytokines, including proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and immunomodulatory cytokines. In contrast,T. tonsurans-infected keratinocytes secreted only limited cytokines, including eotaxin-2, interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-16. cDNA microarray analysis confirmed thatA. benhamiaeinfection upregulated genes encoding IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17 and interferon (IFN)-γ, whileT. tonsuransinfection upregulated only a few genes, such as those encoding IL-1βand IL-16. RT-PCR demonstrated that infection by both dermatophytes enhanced IL-8 mRNA expression in keratinocytes. These results suggest thatA. benhamiae-induced secretion of several cytokines from keratinocytes may be involved in a severe inflammatory response, and that the limited cytokine secretion from keratinocytes in response toT. tonsuransinfection may result in a minimal inflammatory response in the skin. These cytokine profiles may aid in proving the clinical features of dermatophytosis.

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