Association of canine juvenile generalized demodicosis with the dog leukocyte antigen system.

IT V; BARRIENTOS L; LÓPEZ GAPPA J; POSIK D; DÍAZ S; GOLIJOW C; GIOVAMBATTISTA G

TISSUE ANTIGENS

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2010 vol. 76 p. 67 - 70

0001-2815

Demodectic mange is a well-known parasitic skin disease characterized by thepresence of a larger than normal number of Demodex mites (Demodex canis) in theskin of dogs. Recent research has suggested that major histocompatibility complex(MHC) class II expression is higher in the skin of dogs suffering from demodicosisthan in normal ones. We have investigated whether canine Dog Leukocyte Antigen(DLA) class II alleles are associated with canine juvenile generalized demodicosis(JGD). In the present study, the analysis of microsatellite markers (FH2202, FH2975and FH2054) linked to DLA was made in Boxer, Argentinean Mastiff and mixed breeddogs. DNA samples from 56 dogs affected with the disease and 60 breed-matchedcontrols collected in Argentina were analysed. A highly significant association, insome of the analysed markers, in all breeds with the presence of demodicosis wasobserved with P < 0.05 and odds ratio (OR) ≥5. The results of this study suggestthat an underlying DLA association exists with demodicosis in dogs and that this mayrepresent an important immunological risk factor in the aetiology of this condition.This information could be used in the future to develop diagnostic tests to preventcanine JGD.Infectious