Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Demodex mite levels and immune response in dogs with demodicosis
By Gasparetto, Naiani Domingos et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2018·Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), Brazil·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Density measurement of Demodex canis by qPCR and analysis of serum cytokine levels in dogs with different clinical forms of demodicosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with skin problems caused by Demodex canis mites was studied to see how many mites were present and to check their immune response. The researchers found that dogs with generalized demodicosis had a significantly higher number of mites compared to healthy dogs, while those with localized demodicosis also had more mites than the healthy group. Interestingly, dogs with localized demodicosis had higher levels of a specific immune marker (IL-6) compared to healthy dogs, suggesting an immune response. This study highlights the importance of testing for mite density in dogs with skin issues to guide treatment.
People also search for: dog skin problems mites · Demodex canis treatment · localized demodicosis in dogs · dog immune response to skin infections
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To quantify (by qPCR) the density of Demodex canis mites in the skin of dogs with demodicosis and in healthy dogs, as well as measuring the serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and tumour necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-α). METHODS: Fifty-four dogs were divided into three groups: localized demodicosis (LD, n = 16), generalized demodicosis (GD, n = 22), and control group (CG, n = 16). All dogs were subjected to skin scraping, blood collection, and skin biopsy. DNA extraction was performed and the parasite density was established by qPCR. Serum cytokine concentrations were obtained by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The median number of mites in the skin of the GD (6.2 × 10copies/μL) and LD dogs (1.2 × 10copies/μL) was statistically higher than that in the CG dogs (8.7 × 10copies/μL). Whereas there were no significant differences in median IL-1β, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-α levels among the study groups, there was a statistically higher IL-6 concentration in the LD dogs than in the healthy dogs. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, qPCR is an effective method for measuring the density of D. canis in the canine integument. In addition, the activation of the acute-phase immune response in localized demodicosis can be induced by IL-6 activity.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29907185/