The use of danazol in the therapy of immune-mediated disease of dogs.

Currently available therapeutic protocols for immune-mediated diseases in dogs and cats can be associated with poor response rates and a high incidence of side effects. The development of multidrug protocols often results in a synergistic effect that more efficiently suppresses the immune response. One drug that may be added to other therapies is danazol, an androgen with immunomodulating properties. Androgens are known to suppress aberrant immune responses, and the fact that immune-mediated diseases are more common in females supports this. Danazol has been used in humans with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia with some success. Danazol appears to reduce the binding of immuno-globulin and complement to the red blood cell or platelet surface and also may alter cytokine concentrations. The use of danazol in dogs with immunemediated hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia has been reported; however, the small number of animals evaluated make it difficult to assess its usefulness in veterinary medicine.