Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Allergic skin rash and high dust mite IgE in dogs after skin exposure
By Pucheu-Haston, C M et al.·Published in Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology·2008·Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Epicutaneous sensitization with Dermatophagoides farinae induces generalized allergic dermatitis and elevated mite-specific immunoglobulin E levels in a canine model of atopic dermatitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Maltese-Beagle dogs with atopic dermatitis (a skin allergy) developed itchy skin after being exposed to house dust mite proteins applied to their skin. By day 60, all the dogs showed signs of pruritic dermatitis, and tests revealed elevated levels of mite-specific IgE, indicating an allergic response. Skin samples showed inflammation and the presence of mite proteins, confirming that the exposure led to allergic reactions similar to what happens in naturally occurring cases of atopic dermatitis. This suggests that contact with allergens can trigger and worsen skin allergies in dogs.
People also search for: dog itchy skin treatment · Maltese-Beagle allergy symptoms · house dust mite allergy in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a cutaneous hypersensitivity associated with elevated levels of antigen-specific IgE, commonly to house dust mites (HDMs). It remains controversial as to whether sensitization and clinical disease are induced by cutaneous exposure to HDM. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine whether repeated applications of Dermatophagoides farinae slurry to intact skin of Maltese-Beagle atopic (MAB) dogs would result in the development of clinical signs or lesions resembling spontaneous canine AD, to determine whether repeated slurry applications would induce elevations in mite-specific IgE and/or IgG, and to determine whether mite antigens could be demonstrated within the dermis of application sites. METHODS: Dogs received weekly slurry applications to the axilla and groin, and were patch tested at 120 days, or were patch tested at days 1, 60 and 120, but did not receive further slurry applications. Skin biopsies and serum samples were obtained on days 1, 60 and 120. RESULTS: Pruritic dermatitis was seen in all dogs by day 60. D. farinae-specific IgE was elevated by day 60. Histologic examination of early application sites revealed mild, mononuclear perivascular dermatitis. Later application sites were characterized by a dense inflammatory infiltrate and oedema in both the dermis and the epidermis. Immunofluorescent staining confirmed the presence of D. farinae antigens in the dermis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that epicutaneous application of HDM slurry to MAB dogs results in elevations of HDM-specific IgE, localized and generalized pruritic dermatitis resembling spontaneous canine AD, and histologic changes typical of IgE-driven inflammation. We feel that these results suggest that epicutaneous exposure to allergen may play an important role during both the sensitization and the perpetuation of AD, and provide support for the use of a canine model in the investigation of the pathogenesis of AD.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18307530/