Distribution of Malassezia species on healthy human skin in Bosnia and Herzegovina: correlation with body part, age and gender

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The genus Malasezia currently includes fourteen species that have been isolated from healthy and diseased human and animal skin. However, there were differences with respect to the species most commonly isolated, not only in patients with various skin diseases but also between healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of Malassezia species from clinically normal skin of the scalp and trunk of healthy individuals and to examine if the range of species varies according to body site, gender and age. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted at the Department of Dermatovenerology, University Clinical Center in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from December 2012 to May 2013. One hundred healthy men and women with no skin diseases and aged from <1 to 82 years were studied. The samples were obtained by scraping the skin surface from the upper and middle part of trunk and from scalps of all subjects and then incubated on modified Dixon agar. The yeasts isolated were identified by their morphological and physiological properties according to Guillot et al. method. RESULTS M. sympodialis was the predominant species on trunk skin in older subjects, M. restricta on scalp skin in age groups 21-35 years, while M. globosa was identified as common species in adults (36-50 years), both from scalp skin and trunk skin. From the trunk skin M. furfur was the most frequent in children. CONCLUSION This study confirmed that cutaneous Malassezia microbiota in healthy subjects varies by body part and age but not by gender.