title: Allergy to furry animals: New insights, diagnostic approaches, and challenges.
abstract: The prevalence of allergy to furry animals has been increasing, and allergy to cats, dogs, or both is considered a major risk factor for the development of asthma and rhinitis. An important step forward in the diagnosis of allergy to furry animals has been made with the introduction of molecular-based allergy diagnostics. A workshop on furry animals was convened to provide an up-to-date assessment of our understanding of (1) the exposure and immune response to the major mammalian allergens, (2) the relationship of these responses (particularly those to specific proteins or components) to symptoms, and (3) the relevance of these specific antibody responses to current or future investigation of patients presenting with allergic diseases. In this review research results discussed at the workshop are presented, including the effect of concomitant exposures from other allergens or microorganisms, the significance of the community prevalence of furry animals, molecular-based allergy diagnostics, and a detailed discussion of cat and dog components.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Centre for Allergy Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: jon.konradsen@karolinska.se.
authors.forename: Jon R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Konradsen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Research, Mie National Hospital, Mie, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology and Allergy Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Hage
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Centre for Allergy Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hedlin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Allergology, CRP-Santé, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hilger
authors.affiliation: Allergy & Asthma Center Westend, Outpatient Clinic and Research Unit, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kleine-Tebbe
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom; Human Development and Health and Clinical and Experimental Sciences Academic Units, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom; NIHR Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rönmark
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
authors.forename: Thomas A E
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Platts-Mills
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D004285:Dogs; D004391:Dust / Q000276:immunology; D006197:Hair / Q000276:immunology*; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012377:Rodentia; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D004391:Dust; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: Molecular-based allergy diagnostics; allergens; allergic asthma; allergic rhinitis; allergy; cats; dogs; furry animals; pork-cat syndrome