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Published on: September 20, 2019
Altered plasma cytokines in dogs with atopic dermatitis
Hamutal Mazrier1, Linda J Vogelnest1, Rosanne M Taylor1
1Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Background:
Canine (Canis lupus familiaris) atopic dermatitis (AD) shares similar clinical signs to human AD. The abnormal immune response of AD is orchestrated by T lymphocytes, and may include variable involvement of cytokines, regulatory T (Treg) cells, eosinophils, mast cells and other immune components. Helper T (Th)2 cytokines often predominate initially, followed by Th1 cytokines in more chronic phases.
Hypothesis/Objectives:
Pro-inflammatory and Treg cytokines have been shown to play a role in human AD, yet their importance is not clear in canine AD. Hence, this study aimed to measure the concentrations of cytokines/chemokines not traditionally associated with Th1/Th2 response.
Animals:
Canine AD patients (n = 27), compared to control dogs (n = 11).
Methods And Materials:
A total of 19 plasma cytokines were assayed using canine specific multiplex immuno-assays.
Results:
The plasma concentrations of CXC Motif Chemokine Ligand 8 (CXCL8), interleukin (IL)-7 and IL-15 cytokines were elevated in canine AD patients, compared to control dogs. In addition, stem-cell factor (SCF) concentrations were reduced in the plasma of canine AD patients compared to control dogs. Distinct cytokine profiles were found in dogs belonging to the Staffordshire breeds, a group with increased risk of AD. In particular, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) had significantly elevated concentrations.
Conclusions And Clinical Relevance:
Some of the plasma cytokine alterations in canine AD described here, particularly of IL-7, have not been reported previously. Monitoring these distinctive cytokine alterations could be useful for diagnosis and monitoring of canine AD in dogs.
