Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Accuracy of a commercial allergy blood test for dogs with itchy skin
By Patterson, A P et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2005·Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Reproducibility of a commercial in vitro allergen-specific assay for immunoglobulin E in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 42 dogs with itchy skin or ear problems had their blood tested for allergies using a specific commercial test that measures immunoglobulin E (IgE). The results showed that the test was reliable, with a high percentage of consistent results for both positive and negative allergy reactions across various allergens, including grasses and weeds. This means that if your dog is tested for allergies, the results are likely to be accurate, helping your veterinarian determine the best treatment options for your pet's skin issues.
People also search for: dog itchy skin allergy test · dog ear problems treatment · how to test for dog allergies
Abstract
Samples of serum taken from 42 dogs with clinical signs and histories indicating pruritic skin disease and/or diseases of the ear were tested in a commercial allergen-specific assay for immunoglobulin E. Dogs which had been treated with glucocorticoids and/or antihistamines were not excluded. The samples were separated into two equal aliquots, given different randomised numbers, and analysed in two batches on two separate days. The laboratory was blinded to the identification numbers and the history of each dog, but knew the purpose of the study. The results for 48 allergens were expressed in modified absorbance units (MAU). The overall median MAU was 29. For each allergen the mean difference between the MAU values of the paired duplicates was determined and the difference was compared to zero by a paired t test. The number of means that were not 0 (P<0.05) in each allergen group were: seven of 10 grasses, seven of nine weeds, two of 13 trees, six of 10 fungi, and three of six environmental allergens. A single 2 x 2 table for the 48 allergens was created with MAU > or = 60 defined as 'positive' and < 60 as 'negative'. There were 116 of 188 (62 per cent) pairs that were reproducibly 'positive' and 1756 of 1828 (96 per cent) pairs that were reproducibly 'negative'.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16024673/