title: House-dust mite allergy: mapping of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergens for dogs by two-dimensional immunoblotting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Specific immunotherapy has shown to be very useful for allergy control in dogs, with a common success rate ranging from 65% to 70%. However, this efficacy could probably be improved and the identification of individual allergomes, with the choice of more adequate molecular allergen pools for specific immunotherapy, being the strategy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To map Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) allergens for mite-sensitized atopic dogs, for better understanding how individual allergograms may influence the response to house-dust mite immunotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  To identify the Der p mite allergome for dogs, 20 individuals allergic to dust-mites and sensitized to Der p, were selected. The extract from Der p was submitted to isoelectric focusing (IEF), one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Separated proteins were blotted onto polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes and immunoblottings were performed with patient sera. Allergen-bound specific IgE was detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven allergens were identified from isoelectric focusing (IEF), as well as from 1-D SDS PAGE. From 2-D SDS-PAGE, 24 spots were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several similarities were found between dog and human allergograms and no absolute correlation between sensitization and allergy was observed either. As in humans, different individual allergograms do not seem to implicate different clinical patterns, but may influence the response to specific immunotherapy. The molecular epidemiology approach in veterinary allergy management, by the characterization of individual patients' allergoms and by choosing the best molecular allergen pool for each patient could also improve the efficacy of allergy immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Sciences and Technology and Veterinary Hospital, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. Head of the Department: Luís Miguel Lourenço Martins PhD, Assist. Prof. ; Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Science (ICAAM), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. Head of the Institute: Maria Teresa Amado Pinto Correia PhD, Assist. Prof.
authors.forename: Luís Miguel Lourenço
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Sciences and Technology and Veterinary Hospital, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. Head of the Department: Luís Miguel Lourenço Martins PhD, Assist. Prof. ; Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Head of the Department: Rudolf Valenta.
authors.forename: Andreia Grilo
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Science (ICAAM), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. Head of the Institute: Maria Teresa Amado Pinto Correia PhD, Assist. Prof. ; Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, Elvas, Portugal. Head of the School: José Manuel Rato Nunes PhD.
authors.forename: Luísa Maria Dotti Silva
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Hospital Universitario Rof Codina, Veterinary Faculty of Lugo, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain. Head of the Department: Prof. Maria Isabel Quiroga Berdeal PhD.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goicoa
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursery, University Tiradentes (UNIT), Sergipe, Brazil. Head of the Department: Prof. Pureza Santa Rosa.
authors.forename: Saul José
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Semião-Santos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Science (ICAAM), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. Head of the Institute: Maria Teresa Amado Pinto Correia PhD, Assist. Prof. ; Department of Animal Science, School of Sciences and Technology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. Head of the Department: Ofélia Pereira Bento PhD, Assoc. Prof.
authors.forename: Ofélia Pereira
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Bento
keywords: allergens; atopy; dog; house-dust mite; immunoblotting