Neutrophils emerge as early players in canine atopic dermatitis flares

Neutrophils, a frontline type of white blood cell best known for rapid responses to infection, may also be involved in the earliest stages of atopic dermatitis (AD) flare-ups in dogs, according to new study data from North Carolina (NC) State University.

The research findings, published in December 2025 in Frontiers in Allergy, tracked the speed of neutrophil migration into the skin after an allergen challenge in a canine model of AD. Investigators found the cells appeared early on, peaked around 48 hours after exposure, and then declined by 96 hours, suggesting neutrophils could be part of the initial cascade that helps shape an allergic skin response.

“Atopic dermatitis depends upon the interplay of several immune cell types, [but] the role of neutrophils hadn’t been extensively explored,” the university said in its release announcing the findings.

“We came across a previous study that showed an association between neutrophils and AD in a mouse model, so we wanted to follow up in a canine model,” Santosh Mishra, PhD, an associate professor of molecular biomedical sciences at NC State and corresponding author, said in the release.

Small-sample skin biopsy study

To explore neutrophil involvement, researchers compared skin samples from 4 dogs with house dust mite–induced AD with samples from 5 healthy control dogs. Using immunofluorescent staining, the team measured neutrophil activity at 24, 48, and 96 hours after exposure.

The pattern was time dependent: neutrophils were detectable early on in atopic skin after exposure, with the strongest signal around the 48-hour mark before waning by 96 hours, according to the release.

“A neutrophil’s main role in the immune system is to clear away foreign bodies,” Mishra said. “They release chemicals that recruit other cells to the site to either dampen or heighten the immune response.” He added that it is unclear whether neutrophils primarily recruit other immune cells, clear invaders, or do both during AD flares.

Why it matters for canine AD care

The authors describe the work as an early step toward clarifying how neutrophils interact with other immune cells during an AD flare and whether that pathway could be targeted therapeutically.

“There are important translational aspects here as well,” Mishra said, pointing to shared environments and overlapping disease processes between dogs and humans. “Improved understanding of how AD works in dogs will lead to better outcomes both for them and for humans.”

The study, “Investigation of Neutrophil Infiltration in the Acute Canine Atopic Dermatitis Model,” lists Chie Tamamoto-Mochizuki, PhD, DVM, formerly of NC State and now at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as first author. The work was supported by NC State and the National Institutes of Health, according to the release.

Reference

Study explores role of neutrophils in canine atopic dermatitis. NC State University. December 17, 2025. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://news.cvm.ncsu.edu/study-explores-role-of-neutrophils-in-canine-atopic-dermatitis/