Serum canine thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) concentrations correlate with disease severity and therapeutic responses in dogs with atopic dermatitis

Background Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of canine atopic dermatitis (cAD). Serum TARC concentrations are a reliable biomarker for human atopic dermatitis; however, their potential as a biomarker for cAD has not been investigated. Hypothesis/Objectives To investigate whether serum TARC concentrations correlate with disease severity and therapeutic responses for cAD. Animals Thirty-nine dogs with cAD and 42 healthy dogs were recruited. Methods and materials Serum TARC concentrations in dogs with cAD and healthy dogs were measured by sandwich ELISA with anti-canine TARC antibodies. The clinical severity of cAD was scored using the validated Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index, 4th iteration (CADESI-04). Serum TARC concentrations were compared between dogs with cAD and healthy controls, and their relationship with CADESI-04 was examined. Serum TARC concentrations also were measured in 20 dogs with cAD treated with prednisolone or oclacitinib for four weeks. Results Serum TARC concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with cAD than in healthy dogs (P < 0.001). In dogs with cAD, serum TARC concentrations correlated with CADESI-04 scores (rho = 0.457,P < 0.01). Furthermore, serum TARC concentrations significantly decreased in treated dogs with the attenuation of clinical signs (P < 0.001). Changes in serum TARC concentrations before and after treatment correlated with those in CADESI-04 scores (rho = 0.746,P < 0.001). Conclusions and clinical relevance Serum TARC concentrations have potential as a clinical and research tool for the objective evaluation of disease severity and therapeutic responses for cAD.