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D.K. Mercer, T. Sairi, E. Sroka, H. Lamont, Y. Lawrie, D.A. O'Neil, Expression of innate immune defence genes in healthy and onychomycotic nail and stratum corneum, British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 177, Issue 1, 1 July 2017, Pages 279–281, https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.15063
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Funding sources: NovaBiotics Ltd was in receipt of a Making the Most of Masters bursary to support the work of T.S.
Conflicts of interest: D.K.M. is an employee of NovaBiotics Ltd. D.A.O. is a director and shareholder of NovaBiotics Ltd.
Dear Editor, Onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the nail, is caused predominantly by dermatophytes.1 Our understanding of the pathogenic response to these fungi and their ability to establish chronic infection and evade immune clearance remains limited.2 Evidence suggests an association between onychomycosis and immunosuppression,3 but the nail plate represents a site of infection with negligible adaptive immune cell presence. The host response here is led largely by components of the innate immune system4 including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are a cornerstone of innate host defence,4 but their role in onychomycosis is poorly understood. This study is the first detailed investigation of associations between innate immune defence gene expression and onychomycosis.