Immunosuppressive Treatments May Increase Demodex Mites

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Azathioprine image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A study has determined that if you are undergoing any immunosuppressive treatments, i.e., Tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, cyclosporine, systemic steroid, chemotherapy, systemic glucocorticoids, cyclosporine, methotrexate, or azathioprine treatments, or have an immunocompromised condition, i.e. HIV, chronic renal failure, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, that this "might increase the number of mites and demodicidosis should be kept in mind in patients on immunosuppressive treatment."  

In those in the tested group treated with immunosuppressive therapy "there was a statistically significant difference in Demodex density in patients treated with immunosuppressive therapy in the first and third months when compared with the control group (p < 0.05)."  

"The results of our study suggest that there is an association between immunosuppressive treatment and the number of Demodex mites."

Medicina (Kaunas). 2020 Mar; 56(3): 107.
Pre-Treatment and Post-Treatment Demodex Densities in Patients under Immunosuppressive Treatments
Hacer Keles, Esra Pancar Yuksel, Fatma Aydin, and Nilgun Senturk

"Non-deliberate immunosuppression can occur in, for example, ataxia–telangiectasia, complement deficiencies, many types of cancer, and certain chronic infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The unwanted effect in non-deliberate immunosuppression is immunodeficiency that results in increased susceptibility to pathogens such as bacteria, and viruses." Wikipedia