Validation of a novel epicutaneous delivery system for patch testing of house dust mite-hypersensitive dogs.
BACKGROUND
Patch tests with allergens are used for the evaluation of cellular hypersensitivity to food and environmental allergens in dogs and humans with atopic dermatitis. Viaskin is a novel allergen epicutaneous delivery system that enhances epidermal allergen capture by immune cells.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the use of Viaskin and Finn chamber patch tests in dogs hypersensitive to mite allergens.


METHODS
Empty control or Dermatophagoides farinae house dust mite-containing Viaskin or Finn chamber patches were applied to the thoracic skin of six mite-hypersensitive Maltese-beagle crossbred atopic dogs. Lesions were graded 49 and 72 h after patch test application, and skin biopsies were collected after 72 h. Overall microscopic inflammation, eosinophil and T-lymphocyte infiltrations were scored.


RESULTS
Positive macroscopic patch test reactions developed at five of six Viaskin application sites and four of six Finn chamber application sites. Median microscopic epidermal and dermal inflammation, as well as eosinophil and CD3 T-lymphocyte dermal scores were always higher in biopsies collected at Viaskin than at Finn chamber sites. Microscopic inflammation scores were significantly higher after mite allergen-containing Viaskin compared with empty patches, but this was not the case for mite-containing Finn chambers compared with control chambers. Scores obtained using Viaskin were not significantly different from those obtained using Finn chambers. Macroscopic and microscopic scores were significantly correlated.


CONCLUSIONS
In mite-allergic dogs, Viaskin epicutaneous delivery systems appear to induce stronger allergen-specific inflammation than currently used Finn chamber patch tests. Consequently, Viaskin patches might offer a better alternative for screening cellular hypersensitivity to food and environmental allergens.
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA. tolivry@ncsu.edu
Thierry
T
Olivry
Keith E
KE
Linder
Judy S
JS
Paps
Petra
P
Bizikova
Stan
S
Dunston
Nathalie
N
Donne
Lucie
L
Mondoulet
D000818:Animals; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D040001:Dermatophagoides farinae / Q000276:immunology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D004285:Dogs; D010328:Patch Tests / Q000662:veterinary*