Allergic diseases in animals are increasingly gaining importance in veterinary practice and as research models. For intradermal testing and allergen immunotherapy, a good knowledge of relevant allergens for the individual species is of great importance. Currently, the knowledge about relevant veterinary allergens is based on sensitization rates identified by intradermal testing or serum testing for allergen-specific IgE; crude extracts are the basis for most evaluations. Only a few studies provide evidence about the molecular structure of (particularly) dust mite, insect and mould allergens in dogs and horses, respectively. In those species, some major allergens differ from those in humans. This position paper summarizes the current knowledge about relevant allergens in dogs, cats and horses.

Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine Ludwig Maximilian University Munich Munich Germany

Comparative Medicine Messerli Research Institute University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Medical University Vienna and University Vienna Vienna Austria

Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health University of Bern Bern Switzerland

Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Czech Academy of Sciences Libechov Czech Republic

Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research Davos Switzerland

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Epithelial barrier dysfunction and associated diseases in companion animals: Differences and similarities between humans and animals and research needs