Abstract
Simple SummaryAtopic dermatitis is a form of allergy of genetic origin accompanied by itching, during which the animal more easily develops allergies to environmental factors, usually pollen and dust mites. Among the symptoms, otitis is common. The mechanisms of this disease are still not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the detection ability of inflammatory markers (cytokines and chemokines) in the ear canals of atopic dogs suffering from otitis externa compared to healthy dogs and to dogs with parasitic otitis (inflammatory but not allergic otitis). Therefore, we non-invasively sampled the surface of the ear canals of atopic dogs and compared the amounts of certain cytokines and chemokines with those in similar samples taken from ears of healthy dogs and ears with spontaneous ear mite infestation. It appears that concentrations of IL-8 are significantly higher in atopic ears than in healthy ears. Nevertheless, this difference does not appear to be atopic-specific, since the amount of interleukin-8 (IL-8) also increased in ears infested with mites. Further investigations with a larger number of dogs are now required to confirm these results and possibly to find other biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis of canine atopic otitis.Cutaneous cytokines and chemokines are involved in the pathogenesis of human and canine atopic dermatitis. The aim of the present study was to discriminate cytokine expression in the ear canals of atopic dogs with otitis, dogs with non-allergic inflammatory otitis (otodectic mange) and healthy non-atopic dogs. The ear canals of nine atopic dogs suffering from non-infected otitis externa (n = 14 ears), 10 healthy dogs suffering from otodectic mange (n = 20 ears) and 21 healthy controls (39 ears) were swabbed. The concentrations of a panel of 13 cytokines and chemokines on the aural surface were measured by multiplex analyses (Milliplex Canine Cytokine Panel). In addition, Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI)-04 and Otitis Index Score (OTIS3) scores were used to evaluate the overall status of the dogs. The concentration of IL-8 was significantly higher in the ears of atopic dogs and dogs with otodectic mange compared to those of healthy dogs. Significant increases in the levels of IL-10 were also overexpressed in atopic otitis but at lower rates. The concentrations of interleukin(IL)-8 were positively correlated with the OTIS3 hyperplasia score in atopic dogs. Taken together, these results suggest that IL-8 is overexpressed in atopic otitis and otodectic mange and that levels correlate with the otitis severity in atopic dogs.
Highlights
Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is a genetically predisposed inflammatory and pruritic skin disease with characteristic clinical features, which is associated with immunoglobulin E(IgE) antibodies most often directed against environmental allergens [1,2].The pathomechanism of canine AD is complex, involving a genetic background, a barrier defect, and an aberrant immune response to allergens and microbes
Further investigations with a larger number of dogs are required to confirm these results and possibly to find other biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis of canine atopic otitis
These results suggest that IL-8 is overexpressed in atopic otitis and otodectic mange and that levels correlate with the otitis severity in atopic dogs
Summary
Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is a genetically predisposed inflammatory and pruritic skin disease with characteristic clinical features, which is associated with immunoglobulin E(IgE) antibodies most often directed against environmental allergens [1,2].The pathomechanism of canine AD is complex, involving a genetic background, a barrier defect, and an aberrant immune response to allergens and microbes. Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is a genetically predisposed inflammatory and pruritic skin disease with characteristic clinical features, which is associated with immunoglobulin E(IgE) antibodies most often directed against environmental allergens [1,2]. Canine AD is the most common primary trigger for otitis externa in dogs [5,6,7]. Secondary skin and ear infections with Staphylococcus and Malassezia spp. are common and often worsen the clinical signs. Irrespective of any atopic condition, can develop non-allergic ear infections, including otoacariasis or otodectic mange, which is by far the most common. Dogs infested with O. cynotis most commonly develop otitis externa characterised by aural erythema and variable amounts of dark brown material [8]
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