[ SHOWGSD-L ] GSD DNA NEEDED FOR DM RESEARCH
- From: McDoggin@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 15:15:23 EST
For those who are interested in participating..
Please feel free to cross post this message. Please contact me at
mz66@xxxxxxx, if your GSD Club is interested in participating in our
research program.
We have 200 dna blood cards available, at this time, which can be
given out free of charge, and looked at free of charge. However,
these cards must go to a group or groups, in which there will be a
number of dogs participating. Please do not ask us to send them out
individually, for that would not be practical. The only stipulation
that goes along with these free cards is that the dna collected on
these cards must be from HEALTHY dogs- ie dogs that are showing no
symptoms of neurologic disease! When the grant goes through, if
someone wants to test their dog, via blood card, if the dog is
showing signs of DM, then a charge would be applied, as in the DM
Flash test, with money for the test going to research. Right now we
need to find out what percentage of healthy dogs carry the DM marker-
the only way we can do that is to gather dna from dogs that are not
showing neuro symptoms.
Again, here is what we are trying to accomplish:
The basic goal is to determine the incidence of the DRB-1 allele 11J
(the change in the DM Flash test) in the GSD. We will also look at a
couple other regions that we have found changes in and confirm what
the DRQA and DRQB haplotypes are. It seems that looking at these
other regions will help clarify the genetics of GSDM. In addition, we
will ask that a questionnaire accompany the samples. IT will be
simple: 1. age, 2. sex, 3. birthplace, 4. residence at 1 year of age,
5. current residence location, and 6. if (to the owner's knowledge)
any related dog (parent, sibling or offspring) has been diagnosed
with GSDM.
We do not need to know the name of the dog or owner as long as the
sample is labeled with some number that can be cross-referenced with
the questionnaire. On the other hand, we will be happy to provide the
results to the owner (written on the questionnaire) upon that
request. The results will be reported anomalously. However, we do
understand that many people would like to know the answer. It is our
belief that lack of a positive DM Flash test would mean that the
development of GSDM would be highly unlikely. That is, if you have a
negative result, you can't get the disease. On the other hand, have a
positive response (in a normal dog) does not mean you will get it,
but only that there is a higher risk. That is part of what we are
trying to find out.
Based upon the fact that the DM Flash test represents a point
mutation in allele 11 and would not have been reported by the group
in the UK looking at the MHC region of the canine genome, the
incidence of a positive DM Flash test cannot be higher than the
incidence of allele 11 in the GSD. That is 40%. However, since we
know that GSDM is present in about ¼ to 1/3 of GSD with neurologic
disease (posterior paresis), then it is likely that it is at least 1%
(3% of GSDs presenting to university veterinary colleges have
posterior paresis). The real number is somewhere in between.
Hopefully, this study will tell us for sure.
While we are ready to go ahead with the blood collection, at this
time, we must decide how we should proceed. Dr C is sending off a
proposal for a grant for this research, in the next few days, to the
AKCCHF, which already has money allocated to DM research, from our
club. We are trying to decide whether to go ahead and collect the
samples, so we will be ready to roll when the money becomes
available, or if we should wait until the grant is approved, but then
we lose months, first having to start to gather the samples. The
samples can be collected now, on the blood cards, and saved- the
samples will not be compromised on the blood cards, which is why they
are preferred to the CBC vials...
We hope to find a CVT (veterinary technician) in the area where the
clubs are who can help us collect the samples and place them on the
cards. Perhaps a member of a club would volunteer their time, if they
are a vet tech. We will return to the owners the results if they want
them. However, if the dog is ill with a neurologic disease and the
analysis of the sample is to be used to make a clinical decision,
then it should not be sent as part of the study, but rather as a
clinical sample with appropriate charges. These samples will be
processed normally and as quickly as possible. Otherwise, they would
be batched with the other samples for research. That makes the most
sense. We are not asking for affected dogs, we are really looking for
a cross section of all GSDs. Otherwise, the sampling would be biased.
Hopefully, this will sort of set the stage for what we are trying to
do. What we are really trying to do is find out the incidence of a
positive response to the DM Flash test in the GSD breed. However, we
also want to see if the other changes that we see are also correlated
with it. Of those changes, one is a 70 BP deletion in a region of the
DNA which is seen in the majority of Finnish MS patients. We see it
in the majority of GSDM patients, too. We also will be looking at
regions of the genome that are related to MS in human beings,
particularly with the various types of MS (exacerbating-remitting;
secondary progressive; and primary progressive). We do find that
there appears to be a change in the region that is associated with
primary progressive MS which we are currently characterizing. The
other 2 forms are just now being looked at. I think they will be
negative, since the disease fits primary progressive MS more than the
other forms. This also explains the responses to medication that we
have seen, too.
So, we think this is important research. Until we know the incidence
of the DRB-1 change, we will not be able to know the true extent of
the problem that GSDM causes. We also will not know what we can or
can't do in genetic control of the disease. We also will not really
understand the significance of the disease. Certainly on an
individual basis GSDM is important, but we need to have breed
significance to know how large the problem is.
Marjorie
THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG BREED BETTERMENT REGISTRY
http://www.gsdbbr.org
Heaven's Gate: GSD Database http://www.mzjf.info/hgate
The German Shepherd DM Pedigree Board :
http://www.mzjf.info/Forums/index.php
The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group:http://mzjf.com
Judy
Laramie German Shepherds
Are We Having Fun Yet!
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