Feline immunoglobulin E: historical perspective, diagnostics and clinical relevance

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays a critical role in the immune response to parasitic infections and also mediates pathology in allergic disease. While the role of this antibody in both naturally developing and experimentally induced parasitic and allergic diseases of cats has been recognized for decades, the relatively slow development of reagents specific for feline IgE has hindered studies on clinically important IgE-mediated diseases in the cat. This review highlights the major advances which have been made and discusses the current literature demonstrating the role of IgE in feline parasitic infections and allergy.