Abdelhamid, A., Swidan, Z., Lotfy, R., Fathi, M., Soltan, M. (2021). Evaluation of the antifungal activity of Tazarotene 0.1% gel in comparison to tioconazole 28% solution in treating onychomycosis: a clinical, microbiological and in vitro study. Microbes and Infectious Diseases, 2(1), 152-160. doi: 10.21608/mid.2020.47765.1080
Amira Abdelhamid; Zeyad Swidan; Rania A. Lotfy; Marwa Saad Fathi; Marwa Y. Soltan. "Evaluation of the antifungal activity of Tazarotene 0.1% gel in comparison to tioconazole 28% solution in treating onychomycosis: a clinical, microbiological and in vitro study". Microbes and Infectious Diseases, 2, 1, 2021, 152-160. doi: 10.21608/mid.2020.47765.1080
Abdelhamid, A., Swidan, Z., Lotfy, R., Fathi, M., Soltan, M. (2021). 'Evaluation of the antifungal activity of Tazarotene 0.1% gel in comparison to tioconazole 28% solution in treating onychomycosis: a clinical, microbiological and in vitro study', Microbes and Infectious Diseases, 2(1), pp. 152-160. doi: 10.21608/mid.2020.47765.1080
Abdelhamid, A., Swidan, Z., Lotfy, R., Fathi, M., Soltan, M. Evaluation of the antifungal activity of Tazarotene 0.1% gel in comparison to tioconazole 28% solution in treating onychomycosis: a clinical, microbiological and in vitro study. Microbes and Infectious Diseases, 2021; 2(1): 152-160. doi: 10.21608/mid.2020.47765.1080
Evaluation of the antifungal activity of Tazarotene 0.1% gel in comparison to tioconazole 28% solution in treating onychomycosis: a clinical, microbiological and in vitro study
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Abbasiya square, postal code 11566, Cairo, Egypt.
2Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain shams university, Abbasiya square, postal code 11566, Cairo, Egypt.
Abstract
Background: Onychomycosis is fungal infection of the nail units caused by dermatophytes, molds or yeasts. Onychomycosis accounts for 50% of all nail diseases, representing a significant cosmetic concern. Topical antifungals are of limited efficacy owing to their poor absorption. Tazarotene was occasionally used as an off-label treatment for onychomycosis. Aim: Based on the immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory activity of tazarotene, we aimed to test the activity of tazarotene 0.1 % gel against fungi isolated from patients suffering from onychomycosis, and comparing it to another antifungal drug of moderate efficacy, tioconazole 28%. Methods: Seventy patients with confirmed clinical and laboratory diagnosis of onychomycosis were enrolled in the study. Patients were treated with either tazarotene 0.1% gel or tioconazole 28% solution for 12 weeks. Follow-up of the patients was done after 3 months of the therapy stoppage. Determination of the onychomycosis severity based on the onychomycosis severity index and mycological studies were done at week 0 and 24. Antifungal susceptibilitytesting of tazarotene against the isolated fungi was done. Results: Tazarotene showed antifungal activity manifested by induction of a mycological cure in 25.7 % of cases; however, this effect was comparable to Tioconazole 28%. Tazarotene showed a good efficacy against Aspergillus niger in vitro. Conclusion: Tazarotene 0.1 % gel has antifungal activity comparable to tioconazole 28% solution in treating onychomycosis. They both achieved mycological cure in about 25% of cases. Aspergillus niger was the most sensitive species to tazarotene. Tazarotene could be prescribed as an adjuvant to the standard antifungals for treatment of onychomycosis.