Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Filaggrin levels and skin symptoms in dogs with atopic dermatitis
By Marsella, Rosanna·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2013·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Does filaggrin expression correlate with severity of clinical signs in dogs with atopic dermatitis?
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 18 beagle dogs with atopic dermatitis (a skin allergy) were tested to see if the level of a protein called filaggrin in their skin was linked to how severe their symptoms were. The dogs were exposed to house dust mites for three days, and their skin was examined before, during, and after the exposure. While there was some correlation between filaggrin levels and symptoms on the first day, overall, the study found no clear link between filaggrin expression and the severity of skin issues in these dogs. This means that filaggrin's role in canine atopic dermatitis remains unclear.
People also search for: dog skin allergy treatment · beagle atopic dermatitis symptoms · filaggrin levels in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Filaggrin expression is decreased in subsets of humans and dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD). Filaggrin expression is modulated by inflammation, but it is unknown whether expression is inversely correlated with clinical signs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlation between filaggrin expression and the severity of clinical signs in an experimental model of canine AD. ANIMALS: Eighteen atopic research beagle dogs sensitized to house dust mite allergens. METHODS: Dogs were challenged with house dust mites for 3 days consecutively (days 1-3) and skin biopsies collected on days 1 (before allergen challenge), 3 (peak of challenge) and 10 (at resolution of lesions). Clinical signs were scored using a modified version of CADESI-03, the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index. Immunohistochemical staining was measured subjectively by three investigators who graded filaggrin staining for continuity, granularity and intensity. For objective evaluation of staining, the stratum granulosum and epidermis were traced, and the percentage of filaggrin per unit stratum granulosum and epidermal area were calculated. Correlations were investigated using Pearson's product-moment correlation (for linear correlations) and Spearman's rank correlation (for nonlinear correlations), pooling all days together and then separately on each day, using total clinical scores and either subjective or objective filaggrin scores. RESULTS: The only significant correlation was found between the subjective filaggrin scores and total clinical scores on day 1. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: No inverse correlation exists between the severity of clinical signs and filaggrin expression; the clinical relevance of filaggrin in canine AD is unknown.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23398596/