Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Allergy shots under skin vs nose for treating asthma in cats
By Lee-Fowler, Tekla M et al.Ā·Published in Veterinary immunology and immunopathologyĀ·2009Ā·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, United StatesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Evaluation of subcutaneous versus mucosal (intranasal) allergen-specific rush immunotherapy in experimental feline asthma.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with allergic asthma were treated with either subcutaneous or intranasal immunotherapy to see which method worked better and had fewer side effects. The cats received increasing doses of Bermuda grass allergen over 24 hours, followed by weekly maintenance doses. Both treatments helped reduce respiratory symptoms and inflammation in the lungs, but the intranasal method had fewer adverse reactions. By the end of the study, both groups showed improvement, but the subcutaneous treatment led to more consistent relief of symptoms.
People also search for: cat asthma treatment Ā· feline allergic asthma immunotherapy Ā· cat breathing problems treatment
Abstract
Rush immunotherapy (RIT) is effective for the treatment of experimental feline allergic asthma. In humans, the safety profile of immunotherapy is improved by delivering allergen by a mucosal route. We hypothesized that mucosal (intranasal) RIT would have similar efficacy to subcutaneous RIT with improved safety. Twelve cats sensitized and challenged with Bermuda grass allergen (BGA) were randomized to receive subcutaneous (SC) or intranasal (IN) RIT. Increasing doses of BGA (20-200 microg) were administered over 24h followed by 200 microg BGA weekly as maintenance. Adverse reactions were recorded. Clinical respiratory scores after BGA aerosol challenge, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) % eosinophils, and cytokine concentrations were measured before RIT (day 1) and at months 1, 3 and 6 (M1, M3, M6). More adverse events were recorded with SC RIT (n=12) compared with IN RIT (n=6). Respiratory scores were lower by M6 compared with D1 in both the groups. The % BALF eosinophils declined significantly after RIT for both groups (mean+/-SEM, SC RIT D1 62+/-12, M6 9+/-4; IN RIT D1 54+/-9, M6 14+/-6). The BALF IL-4:IFN-gamma ratio significantly decreased over time in the IN RIT group (mean+/-SEM, D1 2.4+/-0.2, M6 1.0+/-0.2). While both protocols decreased eosinophilic airway inflammation, the SC RIT protocol did not cause life-threatening adverse events and demonstrated more consistent resolution of clinical signs after allergen challenge. Either protocol could be considered for the treatment of feline allergic asthma.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19144412/