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Birch pollen-related apple allergy affects up to 5% of Germany's population due to Mal d 1. It has been hypothesized that apple allergenicity decreases by cutting, due to oxidation reactions of polyphenols with apple allergens. In this study, the influence of enzymatic browning on the allergenicity of apples was investigated by determining the total phenolic content, polyphenols, Mal d 1 and the activity of polyphenol oxidase in six different apple cultivars. Additionally, it was analysed how chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and epicatechin combined with PPO affect r Mal d 1 in vitro. Outcomes have shown that enzymatic browning led to a significant stronger decrease of Mal d 1 in Dülmener Rosenapfel, Ontario and Roter Boskoop compared to Braeburn, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith due to their stronger decrease in total polyphenols. High PPO activity may also reduce Mal d 1 allergenicity, even when the content of total polyphenols is low, as shown for Golden Delicious. The effect of PPO could be increased by naturally occurring contents of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid as demonstrated in vitro. These results will be important for the breeding of apples with lower allergenicity. • Enzymatic browning led to a strong decrease of Mal d 1. • Decrease of Mal d 1 was significantly correlated with decrease in total polyphenols. • PPO treatment reduced levels of effector cells and IgE-binding by r Mal d 1. • Addition of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid increased effect of PPO treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Dermatophyte infections of the skin and nails are common worldwide and vary between geographical areas and over time. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological profile of dermatophytes in Germany with a focus on comparing children with adults., Patients and Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study, mycological dermatophyte culture results in the period 01/2014 to 12/2016 were analyzed according to identified pathogen, age and gender of patients, and type of disease., Results: Of 1,136 infections (children: n = 88, adults: n = 1,048), 50.8 % were clinically classified as onychomycosis, followed by tinea pedis (34.6 %), tinea corporis (16.2 %), tinea manus (16.2 %), tinea capitis (2.5 %), and tinea faciei (1.2 %). The most frequent pathogen was Trichophyton (T.) rubrum (78.6 %), followed by T. interdigitale (14.3 %), T. benhamiae (3.2 %), T. mentagrophytes (2.1 %), and Microsporum canis (1.7 %). The fungal spectrum differed particularly in tinea corporis and tinea capitis between children and adults with a more diverse pathogen spectrum in children. Trichophyton tonsurans was rarely identified as cause for tinea corporis (2.7 %) or tinea capitis (3.3 %)., Conclusions: Differences in pathogens and frequency of fungal infections between age groups should be considered for optimal selection of the appropriate therapeutic regimen., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft.)

Background: Superficial fungal infections are often seen in day-to-day clinical practice, and their prevalence continues to rise worldwide. Over the years, a change in the pattern of dermatophytoses has been noted., Objectives: This study aimed to determine the epidemiologic profile of dermatophytes at the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Jena, from 2007 to 2013., Methods: The retrospective study was carried out with a total of 4556 samples collected from 3607 patients suspected of superficial fungal infections during the 7-year study period., Results: Among the 3607 suspected patients, 1951 (54.09%) were men and 1656 (45.91%) were women. Of 4556 samples, 703 (15.43%) samples were positive for fungal culture, which included 585 (83.21%) dermatophytes and 118 (16.79%) non-dermatophytes. Trichophyton (T.) rubrum was the most common isolated pathogen in 73.33% of the dermatophyte cases. Among dermatophyte-infected patients, men were most likely to be affected (63.48%) as well as those of higher age (61 to 80). The most commonly affected areas were nails (33.16%) and feet (33%). T rubrum was recurrently isolated in several regions with exception of the scalp where M canis (58.33%) was the most frequently isolated pathogen. About 16.04% of cases had a history of treatment taken prior to sampling. The majority of the affected individuals did not have any prior animal contact (77.26%). T benhamiae was exclusively associated with contact to guinea pigs., Conclusion: Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequently isolated pathogen in several regions except the scalp. New dermatophyte species emerged with time especially T benhamiae., (© 2020 The Authors. Mycoses published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)