Dog Hair Extract Study

This study is designed to assess the potency of a modified dog hair and dander extract in comparison with the two commercially available dog hair and dander extracts. This is a pilot study to estimate a target strength of dog extract in order to proceed to further studies.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients must sign informed consent before completing any study procedure.
• Age 18 years and ≤60 years.
• Dog-sensitized patients as indicated by a mean wheal > 5 mm with the AP dog extract.
• Females of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test the day of skin testing.
• Patients who are able to understand the information given and be compliant with the protocol.

Exclusion criteria

• Asthma requiring treatment with medications other than beta-2 inhaled agonists and montelukast inhibitors.
• Patients with a history of asthma or wheezing with an FEV1 <80%.
• Subjects who have taken an ocular or nasal antihistamine within 5 days prior to the procedures.
• Patients who have received any desensitization for dog allergen in the past 5 years.
• Patients with any past or current clinically significant condition that may affect the patient's participation or the outcome of the study to the discretion of the investigator. These include, but are not limited to, anaphylaxis with cardio-respiratory symptoms, chronic urticaria and angioedema unless related to dog exposure, severe atopic dermatitis, malignancy, cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, hematological, neurological, immunological, and endocrine disease.
• Subjects taking beta blockers, ace inhibitors, continuous systemic corticotherapy, immunosuppressive drugs or monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
• Use of H1 antagonists, tricyclic antidepressants and phenothiazines within 5 days prior to the testing.