Rush Immunotherapy

Spring 2002

Grant No. D01CA-45 Morris Animal Health Foundation
Title: Conventional and rush immunotherapy in canine atopic dermatitis.
Principal Investigator: Ralf S. Mueller, DVM
Research Institution: Colorado State University

This is the first progress report from our principal investigators at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The aims of this study are:

1. To determine the success rate of rush immunotherapy in canine atopy.
   
   
2. To compare this success rate to the success rate with conventional immunotherapy.
   
   
3. To assess if rush immunotherapy leads to a quicker reduction in allergic symptoms than conventional immunotherapy
   
   
4. To determine the proliferation of T cells stimulated with specific allergens versus nonspecific stimulators before and after three and twelve months of rush immunotherapy indicating a possible change in T cell reactivity.
   
   
5. To determine the production of IFN-
   This is a double blind study. Our researchers will not know the outcome of any of these aims until the code is broken at the end of the clinical part of the study.

Progress: The total number of dogs included in the study design is twenty. To date eight dogs are involved in the study, two of which have already been evaluated for their three-month recheck. At this pace, the researchers feel they will be able to gather the residual thirteen patients within the next ten months. They feel that they are on target time wise. The WFA Health Directors have made contact with the PI and have offered to assist in providing cases.

"Rush immunotherapy" - What is it?

Conventional immunotherapy in dogs with canine atopy involves first the identification of allergens that the animal is allergic to which is accomplished either by skin testing, by invitro blood test, or both. The allergens are then developed into specific diluents that are used to sensitize the patient to the allergen over a period of time. The allergens start at a specified dilution and then are reduced over time. The period of treatment is usually a year. The success rate is 80%. Our investi-gators propose that they increase the response rate by increasing the interval of therapy. They hope to show that rush immunotherapy has either a higher success rate than conventional immunotherapy or a more rapid response is seen or both in the patient.