The Westie Foundation of America (WFA) has announced preliminary findings in two major studies involving the health of West Highland White Terriers also known as Westies. Findings in these and other studies of Westies and other dogs may hold answers for . . . → Read More: IBD & Legg-Calve Perthes Disease study]]> Medical News Today
Research Into IBD, LCPD In Westies May Contribute To Human Disease Research
19 Jul 2011

The Westie Foundation of America (WFA) has announced preliminary findings in two major studies involving the health of West Highland White Terriers also known as Westies. Findings in these and other studies of Westies and other dogs may hold answers for similar human conditions like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The studies are jointly funded by the WFA and the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF).

In one study, researchers are looking at the role of a mucosal gene driving inflammation Canine IBD, a chronic intestinal disorder that creates a bacterial-driven inflammation in the intestines. In the second, scientists are researching Legg-Calve Perthes Disease (LCPD), a debilitating developmental disease that causes pain, lameness and muscle atrophy of the dogs’ hip joints. Both are considering implications for humans since the diseases share commonalities in disease symptoms and pathology.

In IBD, genetic factors are thought to contribute to the cause of the disease in both dogs and humans and researchers are utilizing unique molecular biology tools to identify key genes which regulate intestinal inflammation, similar to human IBD.

“It is our expectation to identify specific genes which serve as biomarkers for diagnosing canine IBD and for monitoring the effects of therapy. We have now identified a grouping of 17 ‘marker’ genes that may be more critically assessed in future studies,” said Albert E. Jergens, DVM, PhD of Iowa State University, the study’s lead investigator. “We have preliminary evidence that changes in the composition of the intestinal bacteria accompany the abnormal gene patterns…this situation is remarkably similar to the association between people and their intestinal populations causing human IBD (i.e., Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis).”

LCPD is an orthopedic disease that may require surgery to relieve the clinical signs. Researchers are using a high-throughput technology to assess nearly 127,000 points in the dog genome. The goal of this project is to identify genes that contribute to the development of LCPD.

Preliminary study findings show LCPD may be inherited in much the opposite way previous studies have shown. Eariler studies suggested LCPD is transmitted in an autosomal recessive pattern. “Our current data suggest the LCPD is inherited in either a dominant or complex fashion,” said Keith E. Murphy, PhD of Clemson University. “Only with more samples will we begin to understand the genetics controlling LCPD.” The investigators currently have samples from 58 Westies, 23 of which have LCPD. One candidate gene identified in humans was investigated in canine LCPD, but was not associated with LCPD in Westies. The results of the candidate gene analysis will be published later this year.

“We are pleased to see such progress in the study of Westies and are even more excited that our work may contribute to human disease research, as well,” said Bebe Pinter, president of WFA. “We anxiously await final results in these studies and in other studies currently being funded by WFA and CHA and look forward to continuing our commitment to research and funding for Westie health.”

Notes:
Full results are expected from both studies after December 31, 2011.

Researchers of LCPF have additional experiments planned for July and are currently recruiting study participants. Interested owners willing to participate in the LCPD study should contact Dr. Alison Starr-Moss at astarr@clemson.edu.

For individuals and organizations interested in supporting future canine research, please contact the Westie Foundation of America .

Source:
Teresa Barnes
Westie Foundation of America

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/231307.php

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An international investigation has uncovered the genetics of the Shar-Pei dog’s characteristic wrinkled skin. The researchers, led by scientists at Uppsala University and the Broad Institute, have connected this mutation to a periodic fever disorder and they propose that the findings could have . . . → Read More: Shar-Pei: Genetics & Periodic Fever Disorder]]> A Mutation Causing Wrinkled Skin Of Shar-Pei Dogs Is Linked To Periodic Fever Disorder

An international investigation has uncovered the genetics of the Shar-Pei dog’s characteristic wrinkled skin. The researchers, led by scientists at Uppsala University and the Broad Institute, have connected this mutation to a periodic fever disorder and they propose that the findings could have important human health implications. Details appear on March 17 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

Purebred dogs are selected for defined physical features, and the inadvertent enrichment for disease-risk genes may have unexpected health consequences. The thickened and wrinkled skin of Shar-Pei dogs contains an excess of hyaluronan, most likely due to the over-activation of the hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2) gene. The Shar-Pei also has a high prevalence of a periodic fever disorder similar to human inherited autoinflammatory periodic fever syndromes. Hyaluronan may create a ‘danger’ signal to the immune system, analogous to the effects a pathogen may have. Because of the health implications, Shar-Pei breed clubs have strongly supported research into the cause of periodic fever.

To find the genetic cause for wrinkled skin, the researchers first compared the Shar-Pei genome to that of other dog breeds. Simultaneously, they compared the genome of healthy and sick Shar-Pei to locate the mutation for the fever. Both studies pinpointed the same region, which contained the HAS2 gene. In this breed alone, a DNA segment located close to HAS2 was duplicated erroneously, sometimes multiple times.

“It was really exciting to realize that the two traits had the same genetic origin,” says Mia Olsson, one of the authors. “Copies of the duplicated segment increase the risk for periodic fever in these dogs, and the overproduction of hyaluronan is the predisposing factor.”

“With this genetic information, people can avoid breeding Shar-Pei with many duplications,” said study co-author Linda Tintle. “Understanding the causes will also lead to more effective treatments.”

The researchers have shed light on the role of hyaluronan in inflammatory disease. The association of HAS2 dysregulation and autoinflammation is of wide interest since the genetic cause of periodic fever syndromes in approximately 60% of human cases remains unexplained. “The finding that hyaluronan is a major trigger of fever opens a new research field in canine and human inflammatory disease,” said senior author Kerstin Lindblad-Toh.

Financial Disclosure: This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council; FORMAS; the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences, and Spatial Planning; the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research; in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health; and the Chinese Shar-Pei Charitable Trust. KL-T is the recipient of a EURYI award from the European Science Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors KL-T, MO, and LT have filed a patent for development of a genetic test.

Citation: “A Novel Unstable Duplication Upstream of HAS2 Predisposes to a Breed-Defining Skin Phenotype and a Periodic Fever Syndrome in Chinese Shar-Pei Dogs”
Olsson M, Meadows JRS, Truve´ K, Rosengren Pielberg G, Puppo F, et al. (2011).
PLoS Genet 7(3): e1001332. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1001332

The Kennel Club (KC) has announced that from January 2012 it will no longer register any puppies born by cesarean section from . . . → Read More: Vets asked to report Cesarean Operations]]> 25 Nov 2010
Veterinary associations are asking vets to start reporting cesarean operations to the Kennel Club in the new year as part of the profession’s commitment to improving dog health and welfare.

The Kennel Club (KC) has announced that from January 2012 it will no longer register any puppies born by cesarean section from a bitch that has had two previous cesarean operations. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) are now calling on vets in practice to engage with the new reporting system that will be put in place next year ahead of the rule change.

The change has come about following discussions between the Kennel Club, RCVS, BVA and BSAVA. Vets are being asked to report cesarean operations in the same way as the current reporting system for procedures altering the natural conformation of a dog.

In addition, the Kennel Club is amending its rules to make it a condition of registration, or continued registration, that the owner consents to the reporting, to the Kennel Club, of any cesarean operation carried out on their bitch (subject to approval by the KC General Committee on 4th January 2011).

Although the move is welcome the BVA and BSAVA are very disappointed that the KC has not gone further. Both organisations lobbied strongly for KC to stop registering puppies from a bitch that has undergone one cesarean operation, with no exceptions, and will continue to push for this rule change.

The BVA and BSAVA are also concerned about the get-out clause in the KC rules which will allow exceptions for “scientifically proven welfare reasons”. The organisations believe that this is an ill-defined term that could be open to abuse and that there should be no exceptions.

In addition the BVA and BSAVA are also calling for the compulsory microchipping of the sire, dam and puppies to confirm the identity of any animal subject to a reporting form as well as improving traceability, which will assist with research into hereditary diseases.

Commenting on the changes, Harvey Locke, President of the BVA, said:

“We are pleased to report that the BVA, BSAVA, Kennel Club and RCVS have come together to tackle the worrying problem of breeding bitches undergoing several cesarean operations and we hope that these measures will start to deter breeders from mating animals where the breeding is likely to rely on cesareans.

“But this will only work if vets engage with the new system. We are urging all vets in practice to make use of the new reporting procedures that will be put in place next year to help safeguard dog health and welfare in the future.

“We remain disappointed that the rule changes do not yet go far enough and that they are not being brought in earlier. The sooner we can start to tackle these major health and welfare problems, the better.”

Grant Petrie, President of BSAVA, added:

“No bitch should be expected to go through the trauma of a cesarean operation more than once. These rule changes are not perfect but they are a step in the right direction and we will continue to lobby the Kennel Club to tighten up its registration rules further.

“Responsible breeders do understand the need to look after the health and welfare of both the puppies and their parents. As veterinary surgeons we must encourage the responsible breeders and deter the irresponsible.”

Notes

1. The rule changes are the result of meetings between the BVA, BSAVA, Kennel Club and RCVS.

2. The agreed new form ‘veterinary report of a caesarean operation on a bitch and/or a procedure altering the natural conformation of a dog’ will be made available on the BVA website and the Kennel Club website.

3. The RCVS is amending Advice Note 29 under the Guide to Professional Conduct on Reporting to the Kennel Club to account for these changes.

4. Kennel Club members will be informed of the change to registration rules. The rule on limiting the number of cesareans will come into force in January 2012. The changes that give consent to veterinary surgeons to report will be discussed at a meeting of the Kennel Club General Committee on January 4th 2011.

Source:
British Veterinary Association

Follow these links to great book chapters on breeding and genetics by Dr. Thorpe-Vargas

Introduction Genetic Tests Genetic Counseling for Owners Genetic Counseling for Breeders Autosomal Recessive Disorders Autosomal Dominant Disorders Sex-Linked Disorders Polygenic Disorders/Complex Inheritance CLICK . . . → Read More: Genetic Testing and Genetic Counseling in Pet and Breeding Dogs]]> A must read presentation from the 2010 WSAVA Congress by Jerold S. Bell, DVM (North Grafton, MA, USA) including the following topics:

Introduction
Genetic Tests
Genetic Counseling for Owners
Genetic Counseling for Breeders
Autosomal Recessive Disorders
Autosomal Dominant Disorders
Sex-Linked Disorders
Polygenic Disorders/Complex Inheritance
CLICK FOR ARTICLE

* Search the Inherited Diseases in Dogs Database * How to use this site * Selection of diseases * Links to further sources of information

The site is not designed as a diagnostic system, and . . . → Read More: Inherited Diseases in Dogs : Cambridge University]]> This web site contains a guide to diseases/conditions of pure bred dogs which are likely to be transmitted wholly or partly through a genetic mechanism.

* Search the Inherited Diseases in Dogs Database
* How to use this site
* Selection of diseases
* Links to further sources of information

The site is not designed as a diagnostic system, and I cannot offer individual veterinary advice. If you suspect that your dog is suffering from one of these conditions, contact your veterinarian. The information in the site is correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, but it is necessarily incomplete, and I can give no warranty of accuracy, express or implied. I would be grateful for any corrections, and in particular for information on conditions or references omitted. Please email me with information.

The Inherited Diseases in Dogs Database is compiled by David Sargan. Publications referring to this site should cite Sargan, D.R. IDID: inherited diseases in dogs: web-based information for canine inherited disease genetics. Mamm Genome. 2004 Jun;15(6):503-6.