Peripheral blood mononuclear cell responses to Dermatophagoides farinae in canine atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory and pruritic skin disease commonly seen in dogs and humans that is characterised by the presence of allergen-specific IgE. Data from skin tests and serological analysis suggest that the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae is the most important allergen in dogs with atopic dermatitis. The aim of this study was to determine if D. farinae specific peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) responses could be detected in dogs with atopic dermatitis. PBMCs were isolated by the density centrifugation from dogs with atopic dermatitis that were skin test positive for D. farinae, dogs with atopic dermatitis that were skin test negative for D. farinae, and healthy dogs. Cells were cultured with increasing concentrations of the D. farinae extract, no antigen, vaccine antigens or concanavalin A (ConA). There was significantly greater responsiveness of PBMCs from the D. farinae positive dogs than from either the D. farinae negative or healthy dogs (ANOVA, P<0.05). In contrast, no significant differences were observed in the control responses between the three groups. This is the first study to demonstrate that D. farinae specific circulating memory cells are involved in the pathogenesis of canine house dust mite hypersensitivity.