Intralymphatic Immunotherapy with Ultrasound Guidance Seems to Be Associated with Improved Clinical Effect in Canine Atopic Dermatitis-A Retrospective Study of 109 Cases.

Intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) has been used successfully in both human and veterinary medicine as a safe and effective treatment for allergic diseases. Initially, ILIT was administered by ultrasound guidance, but palpation-based injections have become more popular among veterinary dermatologists. Data from human medicine, however, show that precise injection into the lymph node is mandatory, and injection quality clearly correlates with clinical response.

Hymenoptera Venom Immunotherapy in Dogs: Safety and Clinical Efficacy.

Hymenoptera allergens are the main triggers for anaphylaxis in susceptible dogs and humans. Hymenoptera venom specific immunotherapy (VIT), the only disease-modifying treatment, has the potential to prevent future life-threatening reactions in human patients. Prospective clinical data on VIT efficacy in dogs are currently lacking.

Exploring the Binding Affinity of the ARR2 GARP DNA Binding Domain via Comparative Methods.

Plants have evolved signaling mechanisms such as the multi-step phosphorelay (MSP) to respond to different internal and external stimuli. MSP responses often result in gene transcription regulation that is modulated through transcription factors such as B-type Arabidopsis response regulator (ARR) proteins. Among these proteins, ARR2 is a key component that is expressed ubiquitously and is involved in many aspects of plant development.

Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Phialophora americana in a dog.

Phaeohyphomycosis was diagnosed in a 6-year-old, male castrated Dachshund on immunosuppressive treatment. The fungus was identified by culture and PCR as Phialophora americana. This is the first reported case of infection with this pathogen in a dog.

Independent Variants in Cats with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

We investigated four cats with similar clinical skin-related signs strongly suggestive of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Cases no. 1 and 4 were unrelated and the remaining two cases, no.

A novel therapeutic diet can significantly reduce the medication score and pruritus of dogs with atopic dermatitis during a nine-month controlled study.

Background: Canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) is a common chronic relapsing pruritic skin disease for which management commonly relies on life-long use of immunomodulatory drugs. A number of the medications used are associated with adverse effects and the potential for complications during long-term use.

Hypothesis: The goal of the study was to determine if a complete and balanced diet formulated for therapeutic benefit could contribute towards management of cAD.

Atopic dermatitis in West Highland white terriers - Part III: early life peripheral blood regulatory T cells are reduced in atopic dermatitis.

Background: Regulatory T (Treg) cells are involved in homeostasis of immune regulation and suppression of inflammation and T-cell polarisation. Current knowledge regarding the role of Treg cells in the initiation of allergic disease is limited for both people and dogs.

Objectives: To explore the role of circulating Treg cells and their possible influencing factors, on the development of atopic dermatitis (AD).

Venom immunotherapy for Hymenoptera allergy in a dog.

A 1.5-year-old male castrated dog was presented in anaphylactic shock after suffering an apparent bee sting. Immunotherapy with bee venom was initiated based upon history, skin testing and serological testing for allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E.

A comparative study of subcutaneous, intralymphatic and sublingual immunotherapy for the long-term control of dogs with nonseasonal atopic dermatitis.

Background: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) is the only causative treatment of canine atopic dermatitis (cAD). Different routes for administration of ASIT have been used; however, comparative studies are lacking.

Hypothesis/objectives: The present study compared the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous (SCIT), intralymphatic (ILIT) and sublingual (SLIT) immunotherapy.

Atopic dermatitis in a cohort of West Highland white terriers in Switzerland. Part II: estimates of early life factors and heritability.

Background: There is accumulating evidence in studies of allergic diseases in humans and dogs that environmental experiences during the first months of life can influence the development of allergic disease. No prospective study has evaluated this in veterinary medicine.

Hypothesis/objectives: To assess early-life risk factors for canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) and estimate its heritability.

Circulating CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T regulatory cell levels in an experimental model of canine atopic dermatitis.

Background: The pathogenesis of canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) is characterized immunologically by an imbalanced T-cell response. Mechanisms of immune regulation in cAD have not yet been completely elucidated.

Objectives: To investigate peripheral blood T regulatory (Treg) cells and their associated cytokines (TGF-β and IL-10) in an experimental model of cAD.

Influence of Na+ and Mg2+ ions on RNA structures studied with molecular dynamics simulations.

The structure of ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymers is strongly dependent on the presence of, in particular Mg2+ cations to stabilize structural features. Only in high-resolution X-ray crystallography structures can ions be identified reliably. Here, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of 24 RNA structures with varying ion concentrations.

Total and Toxocara canis larval excretory/secretory antigen- and allergen-specific IgE in atopic and non-atopic dogs.

Background: Total IgE concentrations are higher in dogs than in humans. Persistent Toxocara canis larval infection is prevalent in dogs and is associated with substantial specific antibody reactions. A correlation, however, between total IgE and T.

Macrococcus canis and M. caseolyticus in dogs: occurrence, genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance.

Background: The discovery of a new Macrococcus canis species isolated from skin and infection sites of dogs led us to question if Macrococcus spp. are common in dogs and are resistant to antibiotics.

Hypothesis/objectives: To evaluate the occurrence of Macrococcus spp.

The effects of cryopreservation on the expression of canine regulatory T-cell markers.

Background: Regulatory T (Treg) cells have been described as key regulators in various immunological processes and are of growing interest in veterinary allergy. Cryopreservation of immune cells is performed routinely in human basic science research and in clinical studies. As such, it allows batch testing of collected samples at a single time point, resulting in a significant reduction in sample variability.

Probable walnut-induced anaphylactic reaction in a dog.

Background: Anaphylaxis due to nuts is frequent in humans; to the best of the authors' knowledge, it has not been reported previously in dogs.

Case Report: A 5-year-old female, intact, Vizsla dog was presented with acute diarrhoea, vomiting, respiratory distress and erythematous wheals. The dog had eaten walnuts, which she had been fed in small amounts for years, hours before the onset of clinical signs.

Triggers, risk factors and clinico-pathological features of urticaria in dogs - a prospective observational study of 24 cases.

Background: Urticaria and anaphylaxis are frequently encountered in veterinary practice, but little is known about the causes and relative frequencies of these reactions.

Hypothesis/objectives: This study was designed to improve current knowledge on the triggers, risk factors and clinico-pathological features of urticaria.

Animals: Twenty four dogs with signs of urticaria with or without anaphylaxis.

Properties of Organic Liquids when Simulated with Long-Range Lennard-Jones Interactions.

In order to increase the accuracy of classical computer simulations, existing methodologies may need to be adapted. Hitherto, most force fields employ a truncated potential function to model van der Waals interactions, sometimes augmented with an analytical correction. Although such corrections are accurate for homogeneous systems with a long cutoff, they should not be used in inherently inhomogeneous systems such as biomolecular and interface systems.

ballaxy: web services for structural bioinformatics.

Motivation: Web-based workflow systems have gained considerable momentum in sequence-oriented bioinformatics. In structural bioinformatics, however, such systems are still relatively rare; while commercial stand-alone workflow applications are common in the pharmaceutical industry, academic researchers often still rely on command-line scripting to glue individual tools together.

Results: In this work, we address the problem of building a web-based system for workflows in structural bioinformatics.

Serum antibodies and DNA indicate a high prevalence of equine papillomavirus 2 (EcPV2) among horses in Switzerland.

Background: The DNA of equine papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) is consistently found in equine papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas, indicating a causal association of EcPV2 in the pathogenesis of these tumours; however, little is known about the prevalence of this virus.

Hypothesis/objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the geno- and seroprevalence of EcPV2 in clinically healthy horses in Switzerland.

Animals: Fifty horses presented to the equine department of the university clinic, displaying no skin or mucous membrane lesions or severe signs of other diseases, were sampled.

A case in Europe of feline histoplasmosis apparently limited to the skin.

Background: Histoplasma capsulatum has a worldwide distribution, but reports in Europe remain rare. We present the second report of histoplasmosis in a cat in Europe and, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of feline histoplasmosis infection apparently limited to the skin.

Case Report: A 6-year-old male castrated outdoor cat was presented to the dermatology service with a history of skin lesions evolving over 1 month and consisting of multiple papules and nodules on the head and neck.