Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
T cell changes in dog skin with food allergy and diet effects
By Veenhof, Eveline Z et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2011·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Characterisation of T cell phenotypes, cytokines and transcription factors in the skin of dogs with cutaneous adverse food reactions.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with skin problems caused by food allergies (cutaneous adverse food reactions or CAFRs) showed a specific type of immune cell response. Researchers found that these dogs had a lot of CD8(+) T cells and certain genes related to inflammation were more active in their skin. When the dogs were put on an elimination diet to remove potential allergens, their skin symptoms improved, but the underlying immune response remained unchanged. This suggests that while the diet helped with the itching and irritation, the dogs' immune systems were still reacting to food allergens.
People also search for: dog food allergy symptoms · dog skin problems treatment · elimination diet for dogs with allergies
Abstract
The immunopathogenesis of cutaneous adverse food reactions (CAFRs) in dogs is unknown. Since the clinical manifestations in the skin are like those found in canine atopic dermatitis (AD), this study investigated the similarity in T cell phenotypes and gene expression of cytokines and transcription factors in CAFRs. In addition, the influence of an elimination diet on these parameters was tested. In the skin of canine CAFRs, a predominant presence of CD8(+) T cells and increased expression of the IL-4, IL-13, Foxp3 and SOCS-3 genes were observed. IFN-γ gene expression was increased in lesional compared to non-lesional skin. The predominance of CD8(+) T cells indicates that the immunopathogenesis of CAFRs is different from that of canine AD. The elimination diet relieved clinical signs, but did not influence T cell phenotypes or expression of the cytokine and transcription factor genes in the skin of dogs with CAFRs, indicating a continuously pre-activated immune status in dogs sensitised to food constituents.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20231106/