Foot Fungus Immune System Suppression
Eradicating the fungus responsible for Athletes Foot ( Tinea Pedis) can be challenging. New research has discovered how certain fungi which invade the body can knock out the immune system. Without an immune response, effectively treating fungal infections is compromised. Could this apply to foot fungus?
The common colonising foot fungi, belong to a group called dermatophytes and are Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. They are interested in digesting keratin to survive and spread. When T. Rubrum invades the nail plate it becomes tinea unguium, also termed as onychomycosis. It is considerably hard to conservatively treat. Fungus is tenacious and resistant to treatment. If the body’s immune system was to be more responsive it would be easier.
Most treatments are concerned with slowly weakening the invading dermatophytes and spores, making their surrounding environment unsuitable to thrive. Attention is given to break cycles of infection concentrating on eradicating fungal spores. Fungal spores can remain dormant on the skin, within the nail and in footwear for many months. Not effectively eliminating these is the biggest cause of treatment failure.
Spores can spontaneously become active when surrounding conditions are right e.g. moisture, warmth and darkness. The fungus can then insidiously start spreading. Ensuring fungal spore loads are kept low is crucial for infection prevention. Helps to minimise risks of re-infection, but if the body’s immune defense mechanisms are switched off to the presence of fungal invaders, infection will develop. So why is this? Why has no immune response been initiated?
Research has found that fungus can imitate signals from our immune system and prevent our body from responding to infection. They produce molecule chemicals similar to those produced by the immune system. They can trick the immune system into thinking there is nothing wrong. They can produce chemicals which have an immunosuppressive effect. As a result, it is easy for fungus to infiltrate tissues and organs.
Fungus is a great survivor and opportunist. It adapts readily to it’s environment and has the mechanisms to rapidly spread. The body will react to the presence of foot invading dermaptophytes. Athlete’s Foot can cause inflammation, skin eruptions and be infuriatingly itchy. All signs of an immune response, but not necessarily a fight. In younger, fitter patients nail fungus does slowly invades nail plates, again indicative of some immune response. The immune system is trying to respond and hold back the tide, but the invading fungus keeps successfully pushing forward. The immune response is weak.
It is suggested that until the invading fungi’s cloak and dagger effect on the body’s immune system is fully understood, the battle is on. To effectively win the battle the fungi’s cleverly replicated immune chemical signals need to be deactivated. Skin dermatophytes are benign, not life threatening, so are at the bottom of scientist’s priority list to turn their attention to. Thus dermatophytes will continue to challenge patients and podiatrist until one day the invading fungi’s enigma code is cracked.
