In vitro Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of Clinically-isolated Trichophyton Species to Luliconazole

Hwang, Young Ji; Lee, Yang Won; Choe, Yong Beom; Ahn, Kyu Joong

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Luliconazole (LLCZ) is an imidazole antifungal agent widely used in Japan for treatment of tinea, cutaneous candidiasis, and pityriaisis versicolor, etc. Theoretically, its potent antifungal activity should make it a viable option for various conditions of dermatophytoses, but there has been no studies to support the notion thus far.
OBJECTIVE
This prompted the authors to investigate the distribution of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of luliconazole by carrying out in vitro antifungal susceptibility test on Trichophyton (T.) species clinically isolated from Korean subjects with tinea pedis.
METHODS
In vitro antifungal susceptibility test, with broth macrodilution method of luliconazole and terbinafine hydrochloride (TBF) as reference drug on two clinically isolated Trichophton species (22 strains of T. rubrum, 5 of T. mentagrophytes), was carried out.
RESULTS
The range of MIC for LLCZ on the total of 27 strains was 0.0110~0.0140 microg/mL (geometric mean: 0.0027 microg/mL), and the range for TBF was 0.0120~0.0250 microg/mL (geometric mean: 0.0042 microg/mL). Additionally, the geometric mean for MIC of LLCZ on T. mentagrophytes was 0.0125 microg/mL, and on T. rubrum, it was 0.0019 microg/mL. No strain showed resistance in vitro.
CONCLUSIONS
The authors hence demonstrated that antifungal activity of LLCZ in vitro against Trichophyton species clinically isolated from Korean subjects is quite superior. These findings emphasize the usefulness of LLCZ, a promising new imidazole, for the topical management of dermatophytoses.