Hair cortisol concentration, disease severity and quality of life in dogs with atopic dermatitis during lokivetmab therapy

• Published in: Veterinary dermatology 2023-08, Vol.34 (4), p.339-347
• Main Authors: Stuart Marques, Vanessa, Calesso, Jéssica Ragazzi, Carvalho, Otávio Valério, Costa‐Val Bicalho, Adriane Pimenta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Atopic dermatitis; atopy; canine; Cortisol; Dermatitis; Dermatitis, Atopic - drug therapy; Dermatitis, Atopic - veterinary; Dog Diseases - drug therapy; Dogs; Hair; hair cortisol; Hormones; Hydrocortisone; IL‐31; monoclonal antibody; Patient Acuity; Pelage; Pruritus; Pruritus - drug therapy; Pruritus - veterinary; Quality of Life; Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0959-4493; 1365-3164
• DOI: 10.1111/vde.13151

Background There are no studies which evaluate hair cortisol as a biological marker of stress and anxiety in pruritic dogs during atopic dermatitis therapy. Objectives A longitudinal evaluation of hair cortisol concentrations, the severity of disease and the QoL in dogs with cAD during therapy with lokivetmab. Animals Ten client‐owned dogs with cAD. Materials and Methods Dogs were assessed at three time points: at the initial visit at day (D) 0 and at D28, when lokivetmab (2.2–3.2 mg/kg) was administered, and at D56 for one further evaluation. At all time points, pruritus and lesion severity was assessed using the pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS) and Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index, 4th iteration (CADESI‐04). Dog owners filled out a validated QoL questionnaire and hair cortisol concentrations were measured from samples collected from the same area on each dog. Results There was a significant reduction in PVAS (p