title: Evaluation of a point-of-care immunodot assay for predicting results of allergen-specific intradermal and immunoglobulin E serological tests.
abstract: Immunotherapy to prevent recurrence of clinical signs of atopic dermatitis (AD) is based on intradermal or serological tests that assist in identifying allergen-specific immunoglobulin E hypersensitivities. Unfortunately, the results of such tests can be negatively influenced by several factors, which include the age of the patients, the season of testing and the administration of anti-allergic drugs. Screening to predict when these expensive tests will be useful would benefit owners of dogs with AD. The objectives of this study were to determine whether a point-of-care allergen-specific immunodot assay (Allercept E-Screen, Heska Corp., Ft Collins, CO, USA) could predict results of either intradermal or Allercept full panel serological tests in atopic dogs. Thirty dogs living in the south-eastern USA were diagnosed with AD in accordance with current standards. Allergen-specific intradermal, serological and E-Screen tests were performed in all subjects. For flea, house dust mite and pollen allergens altogether, results of the E-Screen assay agreed with those of intradermal and serological tests in 26/30 dogs (87%) and 25/30 dogs (83%), respectively. In this group of dogs, the probabilities of obtaining intradermal or serological tests positive for these allergens were 70 and 67%, respectively. If either skin or serum tests were performed only in dogs with positive E-Screen tests, the probability of obtaining positive results would be increased from 70 to 95% and from 67 to 90%, respectively. In this population of dogs with AD, results of the E-Screen point-of-care immunodot assay was found to often agree with those of allergen-specific intradermal or Allercept tests for selected allergen groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. thierry_olivry@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Olivry
authors.forename: Hilary A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: K Marcy
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Kathy C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Tater
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D007428:Intradermal Tests / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E