Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Malassezia yeast allergy test results in dogs with recurring ear
By Layne, Elizabeth A & DeBoer, Douglas J·Published in Veterinary immunology and immunopathology·2016·Department of Medical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum Malassezia-specific IgE in dogs with recurrent Malassezia otitis externa without concurrent skin disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with recurring ear infections caused by a yeast called Malassezia was studied to see if they had a specific immune response to it. The researchers found that about 29% of the affected dogs had Malassezia-specific IgE in their blood, but this was not significantly different from healthy dogs. This means that having this specific IgE didn't help identify which dogs were sick versus healthy. Further testing may be needed to understand how this yeast affects dogs and if allergy treatments could help those with ear infections.
People also search for: dog ear infection treatment · Malassezia yeast in dogs · dog allergy testing for ear problems
Abstract
Immediate-type hypersensitivity (ITH), mediated by IgE, to Malassezia pachydermatis is recognized in atopic dogs with recurrent yeast dermatitis and otitis externa (OE). Malassezia-associated OE commonly occurs in dogs without other signs of atopic dermatitis (AD). The aim of this study was to detect Malassezia-specific IgE in the sera of dogs with recurrent Malassezia OE without concurrent skin disease. Sera from healthy dogs were used for comparison. An FcεRIα-based ELISA was used to measure Malassezia-specific IgE. There was no significant difference between number of positive affected dogs (6/21, 29%) and number of positive unaffected dogs (15/86, 17%) (P=0.36). There was also no significant difference in the concentrations of Malassezia-specific IgE between the two groups (P=0.97). Malassezia-specific IgE did not distinguish between patient groups so, as with other canine allergens, serum IgE reactivity for Malassezia could not be used to differentiate between diseased and healthy patients. The presence of Malassezia-specific IgE in some of the affected dogs might indicate ITH to Malassezia in those dogs. Evaluation of ITH via intradermal test reactivity and response to allergen-specific immunotherapy might clarify the role of Malassezia-associated ITH in similarly affected dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27288851/