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Fel d 1 production in the cat skin varies according to anatomical sites
Author(s) -
Carayol N.,
Birnbaum J.,
Magnan A.,
Ramadour M.,
Lanteaume A.,
Vervloet D.,
Tessier Y.,
Pageat P.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1034/j.1398-9995.2000.00588.x
Subject(s) - medicine , allergen , nuclear medicine , allergy , immunology
Background: Fel d 1 is the major cat allergen,inducing asthma in sensitized individuals. It is produced by the skin and lies on fur. Recently, it was established that the amount of Fel d 1 on fur varies among anatomical sites. However, it is not known whether the allergen production by skin varies in parallel. The objective was to compare the Fel d 1 production by male cat skin in two anatomical sites, the face and the chest, in order to correlate it with Fel d 1 amounts on fur, and to assess the reaccumulation of Fel d 1 after washing. Methods: Ten intact male cats were shaved under general anesthesia at both areas, and the fur was collected. The skin was washed and the washing fluid collected for Fel d 1 assays. Fel d 1 levels were measured in μg/g fur and ng/cm 2 skin by ELISA before and after washing and 48 h later. Results: In skin washing, the mean Fel d 1 level was significantly higher in the face (1015.2±821.6 ng/cm 2 ) than the chest (115.2±66.8 ng/cm 2 ). In the fur, the respective levels were 63.6±34 and 29.6±13.6 μg/g. In the skin sample taken after skin washing, the level of Fel d 1 dropped to 25.1±25.7 ng/cm 2 on the face and to 22±17.4 ng/cm 2 on the chest. After 2 days, skin Fel d 1 levels returned to basal values, with higher values on the face than the chest. Conclusions: This study shows that Fel d 1 levels on the skin are dramatically higher on the facial area than chest. This anatomical variation is concordant with the levels of Fel d 1 found on fur. Washing reduces levels of major allergen on cat skin and fur, but the accumulation on skin is restored within 2 days.