Effect of House Dust Mite (HDM) Avoidance Measure on The Clinical Symptoms in Dogs with Atopic Dermatitis (AD)

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RATIONALE: Majority of dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD) are known to be spontaneously sensitive to house dust mite (HDM) allergen. Canine AD can be utilized as an animal model for human AD. We examined effect of HDM avoidance measure on the clinical symptoms in 6 dogs with AD.

METHODS: Six dogs that suffered from AD and were sensitive to HDM allergen were enrolled. Clinical diagnosis with AD was based on Willemse's criteria. All of the 6 dogs were shown to be sensitive to HDM allergen by measurement of antigen-specific serum IgE or intradermal skin test. HDM avoidance measure was performed by withdrawing conventional bedding and introducing HDM-free bedding in the owner's houses. The clinical symptoms of the dogs were quantitatively evaluated by recording pruritus score, skin lesion index, and medication score before, during, and after the HDM avoidance measure for 6 months.

RESULTS: Before the trial, Der 1 levels were 0.55∼35.0 μg/g of fine dust (mean 1.6 μg/g) in the bedding and 0.25∼8.8 μg/g (mean 1.8 μg/g) on the floor. After the trial, they decreased to 0.02∼0.37 μg/g (mean 0.1 μg/g) in the bedding and 0.04∼0.92 μg/g (0.3 μg/g) on the floor. Scores of the clinical symptoms of AD clearly decreased in 4 of the 6 dogs with AD after the trial. Serum HDM-specific IgE levels in 3 dogs examined also markedly decreased after the trial.

CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing the amount of Der 1 in the house may have an efficacy to control the clinical symptom in dogs with AD.