Cat skin as an important source of Fel d I allergen

It is generally recognized that cat skin is an important extrasalivary source of the major cat allergen, Fel d I. Nevertheless, since cat saliva is readily applied to the skin during grooming, we tried to demonstrate that Fel d I can accumulate on cat skin without licking. Eight adult female cats were used. On day 0, two separate sites of the trunk were shaved and a 6 cm 2 area in each site was washed three times with 5 ml of distilled water. The first and third washes were collected and stored for assay. The areas were then covered with an occlusive dressing. Twenty-four hours later, the site was washed once and the sample stored. On day 7, washes were collected as on day 0, and a collar was attached to the neck to prevent contamination from saliva. A single wash was done 24 hours later. Comparison of data was achieved with an analysis of variance. Repeated washes significantly reduced Fel d I levels from 35±21 to 10±9 mU/cm 2 on day 0 ( p