Isolation and identification different type of dermatophytes and its correlation with Interleukin 17

Background: The skin is the body's outermost layer, and because it is exposed to so many external stimuli, it develops a variety of inflammatory immunological reactions. Common microorganisms called fungi live on the skin and cause cutaneous fungal illnesses, such as dermatophytosis and candidiasis. Aim of the study: The present study aimed to isolate different type of fungus from skin, nail and scalpe and assessment of infection with fungus with interleukin 17(IL-17). Materials and Methods: Seventy eight samples were collected from both sexes, aged between (5-60) years, where samples were taken from people infected with skin fungi. They were gathered from outpatient clinics, Tikrit Teaching Hospital's Dermatology Consultant, and Al-Alam General Hospital, where samples were taken from the infected areas (head, skin, nails). The collection of samples took from March 2023 to September 2024. Only 51 (76.12%) of the 78 clinical samples with clinically confirmed dermatophytes were positive for the skin infection of origin, out of 67 samples, 9 (13.43%) and 7 (10.45%) had positive hair and nail cultures, respectively. According to the findings, 13 (19.4%) Trichophyton rubrum dermatophyte types were isolated during the investigation, 12(17.91%) Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 10(14.92%) Microsporum canis, 9(13.43%) Aspergillus niger, 7(10.45%). While less isolation were for Meyerozyme guilliermondi and Pichia guillierum that were 2(2.99%). IL-17 level showed that was a high significant difference (P value: 0.0057). The IL-17 mean level distribution for patients and controls was 86.6 ± 2.2 for the patients and 51.72 ± 0.8 for the controls.In tropical and subtropical nations like Iraq, dermatophytosis is a significant public health concern that is often disregarded. The main fungal species was Trichophyton spp. In dermatophytic skin infection patients, we examined the host response. The mean standard deviation of IL-17 in patient peripheral blood samples was higher than controls.