“Reduction of Active Fel D 1 from Cats Using an Anti-Fel D 1 Egg IgY Antibody”, 2019 (; backlinks):
Background: Fel d 1 is the most important allergen from cats. Fel d 1 is produced primarily in saliva and spread to the hair coat during grooming and then transferred to the environment via hair and dander.
Objectives: A novel approach to reducing allergenic Fel d 1 exposure was evaluated, involving binding the Fel d 1 with an anti-Fel d 1 polyclonal egg IgY antibody. The hypothesis was that hair from cats who had been fed foods containing anti-Fel d 1 IgY would show a substantial reduction in active Fel d 1 (aFel d 1).
Method: Hair collected from 105 cats completing a 12-week study was evaluated for aFel d 1 via ELISA. Hair was collected 4× over a 2-week baseline period, then weekly during the 10 week treatment period during which cats consumed a food containing the anti-Fel d 1 IgY.
Results: Baseline aFel d 1 (μg/g hair) varied greatly among the cats in this study. From week 3, there was a substantial reduction in mean aFel d 1 with an overall average decrease of 47% by week 10, ranging from a 33–71% decrease vs baseline. Cats with the highest baseline aFel d 1 showed the greatest decrease in aFel d 1.
Conclusions & Clinical Implications: Feeding anti-Fel d 1 IgY to cats successfully reduced aFel d 1 on their haircut with the greatest decreases observed in cats with initially high levels. Feeding a diet with anti Fel d 1 IgY substantially reduced the active Fel d 1 on the hair of cats.