Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rush immunotherapy reduces airway inflammation in cats with asthma
By Reinero, Carol et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2012·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Beneficial cross-protection of allergen-specific immunotherapy on airway eosinophilia using unrelated or a partial repertoire of allergen(s) implicated in experimental feline asthma.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with asthma were treated with rush immunotherapy (RIT) using allergens that were not fully matched to what they were allergic to, like Bermuda grass and house dust mites. The treatment aimed to reduce inflammation in their airways, which is a common issue in asthmatic cats. Results showed that the cats receiving RIT had significantly lower levels of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell that indicates inflammation, compared to those who did not receive the treatment. This suggests that even unrelated allergens can help improve asthma symptoms in cats.
People also search for: cat asthma treatment · feline asthma symptoms · immunotherapy for cats · house dust mite allergy in cats · Bermuda grass allergy in cats
Abstract
The study hypothesis was that in experimentally asthmatic cats rush immunotherapy (RIT) using allergens not completely matched with sensitizing allergen(s) would at least partially attenuate the asthmatic phenotype and modulate the aberrant immune response. In phase I, cats sensitized to Bermuda grass allergen (BGA), house dust mite allergen (HDMA) or placebo received BGA RIT. In phase II, cats dually sensitized to BGA and HDMA received RIT using BGA, HDMA or placebo. Efficacy of RIT was assessed using percentage bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) eosinophils. Additionally, a variety of immunologic assays were performed. Eosinophilic airway inflammation significantly decreased over time in asthmatic cats given RIT using sensitizing allergen or unrelated allergen (P<0.001). In dually sensitized cats, single allergen RIT but not placebo reduced airway eosinophilia (P=0.038). Differences in allergen-specific lymphocyte proliferation, in the number of IL-10 producing cells and in the percentage T regulatory cells were detected between asthmatic cats getting RIT and controls. Cross-protection manifested by reduced airway eosinophilia was noted in cats treated with RIT allergens which did not completely match allergen used in asthma induction. However, the mechanism of immunologic tolerance may differ when improperly matched allergens to the sensitizing allergens are used in RIT.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21937250/