Dermatophytosis is a global disease with a high prevalence rate. Further, it is associated with a major economic burden due to the costs of treatment. It may show a wide spectrum of features ranging from exposed individuals without symptoms to those with acutely inflammatory or non-inflammatory, chronic to invasive, and life-threatening symptoms. 

However, the prevalence of cutaneous fungal infections is not very high. This inconsistency in the dermatophyte infection patterns may suggest the presence of individual factors that predispose to infection, with genetics as the most emphasized determinant. 

A review described recent findings of the genetic predisposition to dermatophyte infections, highlighting inheritance in families with a high frequency of dermatophyte infections and specific host-pathogen interactions. 

Hereditary predisposition to dermatophytoses has not been accepted by sceptics who rather suggest that the varying degree of pathogenicity and the ecological diversity of this group of fungi are more important in increasing sensitivity. However, a retrospective analysis of the hereditary propensity to dermatophytoses demonstrated nearly several proven genetic relationships like races, CARD9 deficiency, HLA-DR4 and HLA-DR8 type and responsible genes encoding interleukin-22, β-defensin 2 and 4 and genetic defects in dectin-1, to increase the prevalence of the disease in families and were also found to contribute in the inheritance of the proneness in their members. 

Thus, the Human Genome Diversity Project could illustrate the genetic predisposition to dermatophytoses in the coming years and rendering us more information.

Source: Gnat, S., Łagowski, D. & Nowakiewicz, A. Genetic Predisposition and its Heredity in the Context of Increased Prevalence of Dermatophytoses. Mycopathologia 186, 163–176 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-021-00529-1