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Evaluation of intraepidermal nerve fibres in the skin of normal and atopic dogs
Author(s) -
Laprais Aurore,
Dunston Stanley M.,
Torres Sheila M. F.,
Favrot Claude,
Olivry Thierry
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
veterinary dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1365-3164
pISSN - 0959-4493
DOI - 10.1111/vde.12420
Subject(s) - medicine , atopic dermatitis , skin biopsy , pathology , biopsy , dermatology
Background Interest in intraepidermal nerve fibres ( IENF s) is rising in human medicine, because variations in fibre density occur in some diseases and these neurites might contribute to disease pathogenesis. An increase in IENF density is seen in human atopic dermatitis ( AD ); there are no such data in atopic dogs. Objectives To compare the prevalence of IENF s in normal and atopic canine skin. Methods Eight millimetre skin punch biopsies were taken from six sites of 25 healthy dogs without dermatitis and compared to lesional and nonlesional skin samples of dogs with AD (23 and 14 dogs, respectively). Thirty micrometre‐thick paraffin‐embedded sections were stained by indirect immunofluorescence for neuronal beta‐3 tubulin. Only sections with detectable dermal nerves were then screened for the presence of IENF s. Results IENF s were identified in all 25 normal nasal planum sections, but in only one biopsy collected from each of the normal canine haired skin ( NCHS ) sites. As there was no significant difference in IENF prevalence between NCHS areas, they were grouped together. The rate of detection of IENF s was significantly higher (one‐tailed Fisher's test, P = 0.004) in lesional AD specimens (18 of 23; 78%) than in nonlesional AD (four of 14; 29%) and NCHS specimens (four of 111; 4%, P < 0.0001). The prevalence of IENF detection in nonlesional AD samples was significantly higher than in normal canine skin ( P = 0.006). Conclusions and clinical importance IENF s are detected more commonly in canine AD than in normal haired skin; these results are comparable to those seen for human AD .