FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Allergy2018; 73(10); 1989-1999; doi: 10.1111/all.13464

Allergen immunotherapy in people, dogs, cats and horses – differences, similarities and research needs.

Abstract: In human patients with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis sensitized to grass pollen, the first successful allergen immunotherapy (AIT) was reported in 1911. Today, immunotherapy is an accepted treatment for allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis and hypersensitivities to insect venom. AIT is also used for atopic dermatitis and recently for food allergy. Subcutaneous, epicutaneous, intralymphatic, oral and sublingual protocols of AIT exist. In animals, most data are available in dogs where subcutaneous AIT is an accepted treatment for atopic dermatitis. Initiating a regulatory response and a production of "blocking" IgG antibodies with AIT are similar mechanisms in human beings and dogs with allergic diseases. Although subcutaneous immunotherapy is used for atopic dermatitis in cats, data for its efficacy are sparse. There is some evidence for successful treatment of feline asthma with AIT. In horses, most studies evaluate the effect of AIT on insect hypersensitivity with conflicting results although promising pilot studies have demonstrated the prophylaxis of insect hypersensitivity with recombinant antigens of biting midges (Culicoides spp.). Optimizing AIT using allergoids, peptide immunotherapy, recombinant allergens and new adjuvants with the different administration types of allergen extracts will further improve compliance and efficacy of this proven treatment modality.
© 2018 EAACI and John Wiley and Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2018-05-27 PubMed ID: 29675865DOI: 10.1111/all.13464Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a common treatment for allergies in humans and can also be effective in dogs, cats, and horses. This article analyzes how these treatments work in different species, indicates where more research is needed, and looks at how AIT could be further improved.

Allergen Immunotherapy: An Overview

  • Allergen immunotherapy (AIT), which entails exposing patients to gradually larger doses of an allergen, was first successfully used in humans in 1911. Nowadays, it is widely used to treat a variety of allergies, including allergic asthma, rhinitis, insect venom hypersensitivity, atopic dermatitis, and recently, food allergies.
  • A few different AIT protocols exist, such as subcutaneous (under the skin), epicutaneous (on the skin), intralymphatic (into the lymphatic system), oral, and sublingual (under the tongue) methods.
  • In animals, the most data about AIT exists for dogs. The principles behind these treatments are fairly similar to those used in humans, involving the initiation of a regulatory response and the production of “blocking” IgG antibodies.

AIT in Different Animal Species

  • The majority of animals studied for AIT effectiveness are dogs where subcutaneous AIT is recognized as a treatment for atopic dermatitis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease.
  • While subcutaneous immunotherapy is also used to treat atopic dermatitis in cats, there is not as much data available on its efficacy. Evidence does suggest that AIT can successfully treat feline asthma, though.
  • Research on horses indicates varied success with AIT for insect hypersensitivity. However, there are promising results from pilot studies that used recombinant antigens of biting midges (Culicoides spp.) to prevent insect hypersensitivity.

The Future of AIT

  • Therapies are constantly being refined, and this includes allergen immunotherapies. Currently, researchers are looking at how they can optimize these treatments using allergoids (modified allergens), peptide immunotherapy, recombinant allergens (genetically engineered), and new adjuvants (substances that enhance the body’s immune response).
  • By investigating different types of allergen administration and new adjuvants, it is hoped that the compliance and efficacy of this treatment modality can be improved.

Cite This Article

APA
Mueller RS, Jensen-Jarolim E, Roth-Walter F, Marti E, Janda J, Seida AA, DeBoer D. (2018). Allergen immunotherapy in people, dogs, cats and horses – differences, similarities and research needs. Allergy, 73(10), 1989-1999. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.13464

Publication

Allergy
ISSN: 1398-9995
NlmUniqueID: 7804028
Country: Denmark
Language: English
Volume: 73
Issue: 10
Pages: 1989-1999

Researcher Affiliations

Mueller, R S
  • Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Jensen-Jarolim, E
  • The Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
  • Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University, Vienna, Austria.
Roth-Walter, F
  • The Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Marti, E
  • Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Janda, J
  • Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Seida, A A
  • Immunology and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
DeBoer, D
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Allergens / immunology
  • Animals
  • Arthropod Venoms / immunology
  • Cats
  • Dermatitis, Atopic / immunology
  • Desensitization, Immunologic / methods
  • Desensitization, Immunologic / veterinary
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity / classification
  • Models, Animal

Grant Funding

  • EAACI
  • F4606-B28 / Austrian Science Fund FWF Grants
  • 310030-160196/1 / Swiss National Science Foundation

Citations

This article has been cited 21 times.
  1. Kim J, Lee JH, Kim Y, Song Y, Kim HJ. Successful Management of Refractory Otitis Media Using Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy in a Dog. Vet Med Sci 2025 Mar;11(2):e70253.
    doi: 10.1002/vms3.70253pubmed: 39950416google scholar: lookup
  2. Olivry T, Fontao AM, Aumayr M, Ivanovova NP, Mitterer G, Harwanegg C. Validation of a Multiplex Molecular Macroarray for the Determination of Allergen-Specific IgE Sensitizations in Dogs. Vet Sci 2024 Oct 7;11(10).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci11100482pubmed: 39453074google scholar: lookup
  3. Ardicli S, Ardicli O, Yazici D, Pat Y, Babayev H, Xiong P, Zeyneloglu C, Garcia-Sanchez A, Shi LL, Viscardi OG, Skolnick S, Ogulur I, Dhir R, Jutel M, Agache I, Janda J, Pali-Schöll I, Nadeau KC, Akdis M, Akdis CA. Epithelial barrier dysfunction and associated diseases in companion animals: Differences and similarities between humans and animals and research needs. Allergy 2024 Dec;79(12):3238-3268.
    doi: 10.1111/all.16343pubmed: 39417247google scholar: lookup
  4. Graner A, Mueller RS, Geisler J, Bogenstätter D, White SJ, Jonsdottir S, Marti E. Allergen immunotherapy using recombinant Culicoides allergens improves clinical signs of equine insect bite hypersensitivity. Front Allergy 2024;5:1467245.
    doi: 10.3389/falgy.2024.1467245pubmed: 39403119google scholar: lookup
  5. Karwig L, Moore PF, Alber G, Eschke M. Distinct characteristics of unique immunoregulatory canine non-conventional TCRαβ(pos) CD4(neg)CD8α(neg) double-negative T cell subpopulations. Front Immunol 2024;15:1439213.
    doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1439213pubmed: 39185407google scholar: lookup
  6. Widorn L, Zabolotski Y, Mueller RS. A prospective study evaluating the correlation between local weather conditions, pollen counts and pruritus of dogs with atopic dermatitis. Vet Dermatol 2024 Oct;35(5):500-507.
    doi: 10.1111/vde.13268pubmed: 38887962google scholar: lookup
  7. Protschka M, Di Placido D, Moore PF, Büttner M, Alber G, Eschke M. Canine peripheral non-conventional TCRαβ(+) CD4(-)CD8α(-) double-negative T cells show T helper 2-like and regulatory properties. Front Immunol 2024;15:1400550.
    doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1400550pubmed: 38835756google scholar: lookup
  8. Fernandes B, Alves S, Schmidt V, Bizarro AF, Pinto M, Pereira H, Marto J, Lourenço AM. Primary Prevention of Canine Atopic Dermatitis: Breaking the Cycle-A Narrative Review. Vet Sci 2023 Nov 16;10(11).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci10110659pubmed: 37999481google scholar: lookup
  9. Herrmann I, Sanchez AJ. Efficacy and Safety of Subcutaneous Allergen-Specific Immuno-Therapy in Horses with Allergic Cutaneous and Respiratory Diseases-A Systematic Review. Vet Sci 2023 Oct 10;10(10).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci10100613pubmed: 37888565google scholar: lookup
  10. Eschke M, Moore PF, Chang H, Alber G, Keller SM. Canine peripheral blood TCRαβ T cell atlas: Identification of diverse subsets including CD8A(+) MAIT-like cells by combined single-cell transcriptome and V(D)J repertoire analysis. Front Immunol 2023;14:1123366.
    doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1123366pubmed: 36911660google scholar: lookup
  11. Kotnik T. Quality of Life of Allergic Dogs Treated with Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy-A Retrospective Study. Vet Sci 2023 Jan 18;10(2).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci10020072pubmed: 36851376google scholar: lookup
  12. Jia X, Zheng H, Yan X, Dai H, Xiang Q. Effect of baseline serum vitamin D level on symptom and medication scores of subcutaneous immunotherapy in children with mite allergy. Front Pediatr 2022;10:1018549.
    doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.1018549pubmed: 36389357google scholar: lookup
  13. Ahmad HI, Jabbar A, Mushtaq N, Javed Z, Hayyat MU, Bashir J, Naseeb I, Abideen ZU, Ahmad N, Chen J. Immune Tolerance vs. Immune Resistance: The Interaction Between Host and Pathogens in Infectious Diseases. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:827407.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.827407pubmed: 35425833google scholar: lookup
  14. Lee DG, Lee YJ, Park SH, Park HR, Kang H, Kim JE. Preventive Effects of a Human Hematopoietic Mesenchymal Stem Cell (hHMSC) Therapy in Ovalbumin-Induced Food Allergy. Biomedicines 2022 Feb 21;10(2).
    doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10020511pubmed: 35203718google scholar: lookup
  15. Mullins E, Bresson JL, Dalmay T, Dewhurst IC, Epstein MM, George Firbank L, Guerche P, Hejatko J, Naegeli H, Nogué F, Rostoks N, Sánchez Serrano JJ, Savoini G, Veromann E, Veronesi F, Fernandez Dumont A, Moreno FJ. Scientific Opinion on development needs for the allergenicity and protein safety assessment of food and feed products derived from biotechnology. EFSA J 2022 Jan;20(1):e07044.
    doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7044pubmed: 35106091google scholar: lookup
  16. Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Alberti E, Conturba B, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Intradermal Testing Results in Horses Affected by Mild-Moderate and Severe Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jul 13;11(7).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11072086pubmed: 34359214google scholar: lookup
  17. Marsella R. Atopic Dermatitis in Domestic Animals: What Our Current Understanding Is and How This Applies to Clinical Practice. Vet Sci 2021 Jul 2;8(7).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci8070124pubmed: 34357916google scholar: lookup
  18. Pali-Schöll I, Roth-Walter F, Jensen-Jarolim E. One Health in allergology: A concept that connects humans, animals, plants, and the environment. Allergy 2021 Aug;76(8):2630-2633.
    doi: 10.1111/all.14804pubmed: 33665860google scholar: lookup
  19. Raza F, Ivanek R, Freer H, Reiche D, Rose H, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V, Björnsdóttir S, Wagner B. Cul o 2 specific IgG3/5 antibodies predicted Culicoides hypersensitivity in a group imported Icelandic horses. BMC Vet Res 2020 Aug 10;16(1):283.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02499-wpubmed: 32778104google scholar: lookup
  20. Rabiger FV, Rothe K, von Buttlar H, Bismarck D, Büttner M, Moore PF, Eschke M, Alber G. Distinct Features of Canine Non-conventional CD4(-)CD8α(-) Double-Negative TCRαβ(+) vs. TCRγδ(+) T Cells. Front Immunol 2019;10:2748.
    doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02748pubmed: 31824515google scholar: lookup
  21. Kratzer B, Hofer S, Zabel M, Pickl WF. All the small things: How virus-like particles and liposomes modulate allergic immune responses. Eur J Immunol 2020 Jan;50(1):17-32.
    doi: 10.1002/eji.201847810pubmed: 31799700google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,850 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.