Ha-Jung Kim

Sensitization rates of causative allergens for dogs with atopic dermatitis: detection of canine allergen-specific IgE.

Allergen-specific IgE serology tests became commercially available in the 1980s. Since then these tests have been widely used to diagnose and treat allergic skin diseases. However, the relationship between a positive reaction and disease occurrence has been controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate allergens using a serologic allergy test in dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD). Dogs clinically diagnosed with AD (n=101) were tested using an allergen-specific IgE immunoassay. Among the total 92 environmental and food allergens, house dust and house dust mites were the most common. Several allergens including airborne pollens and molds produced positive reactions, and which was considered increasing allergens relating to the climate changes. The presence of antibodies against staphylococci and Malassezia in cases of canine AD was warranted in this study. Additionally, strong (chicken, turkey, brown rice, brewers yeast, and soybean) and weakly (rabbit, vension, duck, and tuna) positive reactions to food allergens could be used for avoidance and limited-allergen trials.

Common allergens of atopic dermatitis in dogs: comparative findings based on intradermal tests.

Intradermal tests were performed on 58 dogs diagnosed with atopic dermatitis from 2004~2008 at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Konkuk University, Korea. To compare the allergen distribution observed in the present investigation to the results from other studies conducted in Korea and elsewhere, the allergens were grouped according to their kinds. There was no significant difference in gender distribution among the dogs. The most common breeds among the 58 dogs were Maltese (n = 11) and Shih-tzu (n = 11). The average age was 4.8 years. The most frequently produced a positive reaction on the intradermal tests was mold (67.3%) followed by house dust (54.5%) and house dust mites (49.1%). The present study found a low distribution of dogs allergic to various outdoor allergens compared to studies performed in other countries; this may reflect differences in living conditions for dogs living in Korea.

Sterile panniculitis in dogs: new diagnostic findings and alternative treatments.

The objective of this study was to analyse the underlying diseases, diagnostic findings and treatment outcomes in 10 dogs with sterile panniculitis. There was no significant breed association in this study (P = 0.86).The median age of the dogs was 7.4 years. Concurrent diseases included atopic dermatitis (four dogs), acute pancreatitis (two dogs) and primary hypoadrenocorticism (one dog), with no concurrent conditions detected in three dogs. There was no significant association with the sterile panniculitis (P = 0.57). Well-circumscribed firm nodules were noted in seven dogs, and ill-defined soft nodules were observed in three dogs. Bacterial and fungal cultures of biopsy samples were negative in all cases. Fine-needle aspiration cytology of the nodules revealed pleomorphic mesenchymal cells in all of the well-circumscribed firm nodules, whereas numerous inflammatory cells and adipose cells were evident in soft nodules. These results indicate that firm nodules in panniculitis could be misdiagnosed as tumours. Immunosuppressive therapy was used in eight cases. Topical dexamethasone was used in four dogs, intralesional dexamethasone in one dog, oral prednisolone plus ciclosporin in two dogs and oral prednisolone only in one dog. The remaining treatments were surgical excision and systemic cefalexin in one dog each. The lesions regressed within 1 week in all cases, with more rapid remission following systemic immunosuppressive therapy. This study suggests that cytology may be misinterpreted as neoplastic, especially with firm lesions. In addition, topical glucocorticoid therapy should be further evaluated as a potential treatment for canine sterile panniculitis.

A retrospective study of clinical outcomes of α-blocker or finasteride monotherapy followed by combination therapy: determination of the period of combination therapy of α-blocker and finasteride.

Aims: We investigated outcomes after discontinuing alpha‐blockers or finasteride in patients who initially received combination therapy and compared differences by duration of combination therapy.