Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Allergy test results and immunotherapy outcomes in South Australian
By Han, C et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2020·School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of positive reactions in intradermal and IgE serological allergy tests in dogs from South Australia, and the subsequent outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in South Australia with skin problems, such as itching and rashes, underwent allergy testing to identify what was causing their symptoms. The tests revealed that common allergens included various plants and dust mites. After starting allergen-specific immunotherapy (a treatment aimed at reducing allergy symptoms), only about 35% of the dogs showed improvement, while 65% did not respond well to the treatment. This suggests that while some dogs may benefit from immunotherapy, many may not see significant relief from their allergies.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of positive allergen reactions in intradermal and IgE serological tests in dogs presenting to a dermatology referral centre in South Australia and the clinical efficacy of subsequent allergen-specific immunotherapy. DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: Results from 108 intradermal allergy tests, 25 IgE serological assays and immunotherapy outcomes in 37 dogs were retrospectively analysed. Immunotherapy outcomes were determined as excellent, good, modest or failure using a global assessment of efficacy matrix which incorporated pruritus scores, lesion severity, medication requirements, and owner and clinician opinion. RESULTS: The most common positive reactions in intradermal allergy tests were Red clover (59%), Dermatophagoides farinae (29%), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (28%), Yellow dock (25%) and Malassezia pachydermatis (24%). In the IgE serological tests, Yorkshire fog grass (40%), Yellow dock (36%), Kentucky bluegrass (36%) and T. putrescentiae (36%) were the most commonly reported positive results. The outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy was judged to be excellent in 20% of dogs, good in 15%, modest in 18% and a failure in 47%. CONCLUSION: As has been reported in other geographical areas, environmental mites and plant pollens frequently gave positive reactions in allergy tests in South Australia. However, the prevalence of individual allergen reactions differed between intradermal and IgE serological tests, with M. pachydermatis being identified as a common cause of hypersensitivity in intradermal tests but not in IgE serological assays. Immunotherapy was judged to be a beneficial treatment in 35% of dogs but was essentially unsuccessful in 65%.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31742667/