02825-A: Effect(s) of Atopic Dermatitis-associated Cytokines on Staphylococcus pseudintermedius
Grant Status: Closed
Abstract
Allergies are extremely common in dogs, with environmental allergy being one of the most common. The exact cause of allergies is unknown but does present with an abnormal immune response. An immune response is a complex mechanism by which the body fights infections. A major component of this mechanism is made of small signaling proteins called cytokines. In healthy individuals, cytokines are important to maintain a balance between clearing infection and controlling inflammation. However, in allergic dogs, an abnormal immune response may be associated with tissue damage and microbial imbalance. Most of the times, treating the infection results in controlling the allergic flare, but that may not always be sufficient. Recurrent, resistant infections are very difficult to treat in dogs. The lack of response to treatments could be due to the direct effects of the body’s inflammatory response (cytokines) on bacterial growth (alone or in biofilm structures). This phenomenon is well known in human medicine but no studies have been published in veterinary medicine yet. The aim of this study is to understand the relationship between cytokines, associated with allergies and bacteria. If there is an association between immune response and increase in bacterial growth, these findings could open new therapeutic options for controlling bacterial infections in allergic dogs. Such results will pose the basis for new therapies to increase the quality of life of affected pets as well as decreasing the amount of bacterial resistance.
Publication(s)
None at this time.
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