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 | ||||
| Article 21, Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2021, Page 152-160 PDF (608.47 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2020.47765.1080 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
Amira Abdelhamid  1; Zeyad Swidan2; Rania A. Lotfy2; Marwa Saad Fathi1; Marwa Y. Soltan2
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| 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. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Onychomycosis; fungal infections; Tazarotene; Tioconazole | ||||
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