Analysis of the results of specific IgE detection for cat and dog dander allergens in 141, 165 tests with allergic diseases

Li, Y., Xu, M., Li, J. et al.  BMC Immunol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12865-026-00825-9

Abstract

Objective

The incidence of pet allergies continues to rise. This study investigates the clinical distribution characteristics and changes of cat and dog dander allergens among all outpatients and inpatients treated at Hangzhou First People’s Hospital from 2016 to 2024. It aims to provide data support for clinical allergen screening, individualized avoidance strategies, and precision diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted. All outpatients and inpatients who underwent serum allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) antibody testing at Hangzhou First People’s Hospital from January 2016 to December 2024 were retrospectively included. The study analyzed each test individually, repeated tests performed at different time points for the same patient were included in the analysis. The characteristics and trends of cat and dog dander allergens were analyzed over a nearly 9-year period, encompassing a total of 141,165 test instances.

Male cases numbered 70,904 (50.23%), while female cases numbered 70,261 (49.77%). Patients were categorized by age group: 0–3 years (infant group, 6,729 cases, 4.76%), 4–12 years (child group), 13–18 years (adolescent group), 19–65 years (adult group), and > 65 years (elderly group). This yielded 20,197 cases (14.31%) in the infant group, 55,280 cases (39.16%) in the child group, 6,729 cases (4.76%) in the adolescent group, 54,345 cases (38.50%) in the adult group, and 4,613 cases (3.27%) in the elderly group. Statistical analysis employed the χ² test.

Results

Trends in Allergen Positive Rates for Cat and Dog Dander by Gender

Among 141,165 test results, the sIgE positivity rate for cat dander allergen (3.76%) was higher than that for dog dander allergen (3.38%), with a statistically significant difference (χ²=11680.12, P < 0.001). The positive rates for cat dander sIgE from 2016 to 2024 were 1.45%, 0.64%, 0.66%, 1.74%, 2.54%, 4.37%, 5.66%, 6.74%, and 9.36%, respectively. The positive rates for dog dander allergen sIgE sensitization from 2016 to 2024 were 0.57%, 0.16%, 0.09%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 3.30%, 5.77%, 7.09%, and 11.48%, respectively; Since 2018, the positive rates for cat and dog dander allergen sIgE have shown a significant upward trend over time in both males and females. The positive rates for cat and dog dander allergen sIgE were consistently higher in males than in females, with statistically significant differences (χ² = 11.922, χ² = 67.499, p < 0.05). The positive rates for cat dander allergens (3.94%, 3.59%) were significantly higher than those for dog dander allergens (3.78%, 2.99%) in both males and females, with statistically significant differences (χ²=5121.29, χ²=6755.70, P < 0.001); The positive rates for cat dander allergens in the infant/child group (2.30%) and elderly group (0.59%) were significantly lower than those for dog dander allergens (4.05%, 0.89%), with both differences being statistically significant (χ²=615.55, χ²=55.43, P < 0.001); The positive rates for cat dander allergens in the children, adolescents, and adults groups (4.78%, 6.54%, 3.18%) were significantly higher than the dog dander allergen positive rates (4.75%, 4.64%, 1.81%), with all differences being statistically significant (χ²=2429.89, χ²=369.45, χ²=1191.82, P<0.001); The concordance rate for cat and dog dander allergies was 68.06%, with moderate correlations observed between sIgE levels for these allergens. When only one allergen showed positive sIgE, most positive results were low-level (levels 1–3); however, combined high-level positives also occurred.

Conclusion

This study reveals the epidemiological characteristics of cat and dog dander allergens in Hangzhou over the past nine years, revealing patterns of overall increase, gender differences, and age clustering. These findings provide crucial data support for optimizing clinical allergen screening strategies, developing personalized avoidance plans, and advancing precision diagnosis and treatment.

PDF