EVALUATION OF SERUM ALLERGEN-SPECIFIC IGE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF FOOD ADVERSE REACTIONS IN THE DOG

A new monoclonal enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA; CMG IMMUNODOT, Frib ourg, Switzerland) measuring food antigen-specific serum IgE was used in an attempt to investigate food allergen-specific IgE in dogs. The s erum of eight dogs with clinically proven adverse reactions to specifi c proteins was tested for beef, cow's milk, pork, lamb, hen's egg, soy bean, fish mix (cod/sole), peanut, maize and wheal flour. The control group consisted of three healthy dogs, three dogs with nonallergic ski n disease, two dogs with atopy, a cat and a horse. Only three mild pos itive reactions to beef, lamb and peanut, respectively, were found in this study; the sera were from two control dogs with the clinical diag nosis of dermatophytosis and atopy. None of the animals with confirmed food adverse reactions showed positive reactions. This study indicate s that the diagnosis of food adverse reactions in the dog by measuring allergen-specific IgE with the used mononuclear ELISA is unreliable.