Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Allergen immunotherapy shifts immune response in dogs with itchy skin
By Shida, Masayuki et al.·Published in Veterinary immunology and immunopathology·2004·Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Allergen-specific immunotherapy induces Th1 shift in dogs with atopic dermatitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with atopic dermatitis (a skin allergy) received allergen-specific immunotherapy to help reduce their symptoms. Before treatment, their immune response was skewed towards a type of reaction that causes allergies, but after therapy, their immune response shifted to a healthier balance. This change was marked by an increase in a specific immune marker (IFN-gamma), which suggests that the treatment was effective in improving their immune response. Overall, the dogs showed a positive change in their immune system after receiving the therapy.
People also search for: dog skin allergy treatment · atopic dermatitis in dogs · immunotherapy for dog allergies
Abstract
Allergen-specific immunotherapy has been applied to canine atopic dermatitis. Despite the accumulated clinical evidence of its effect for atopic dogs, the basic immunologic mechanisms were not fully understood. In this study, the cytokine profile ex vivo in canine atopic dermatitis before and after allergen-specific immunotherapy was characterized using competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Blood samples were collected from 10 dogs with atopic dermatitis and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with house dust mite antigen. The levels of IFN-gamma and IL-4 mRNA were lower in atopic dogs compared with non-atopic controls. The ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-4 was low in atopic dogs indicating a cytokine profile polarized to Th2. The level of IFN-gamma after immunotherapy was significantly higher than that before (P < 0.05) whereas that of IL-4 mRNA was not changed. Consequently, the ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-4 after immunotherapy was significantly higher than that before immunotherapy (P < 0.05). These results indicate a Th2 cytokine bias is the dominant state in atopic dogs and allergen-specific immunotherapy causes a shift to wards a Th1 bias by enhancing IFN-gamma expression.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15451612/