Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Gene changes linked to skin and muscle inflammation in Shetland
By Wahl, Jacquelyn M et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2008·Department of Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Analysis of gene transcript profiling and immunobiology in Shetland sheepdogs with dermatomyositis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old female Shetland sheepdog was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, an inflammatory skin and muscle disease that can cause lesions on the face, ears, and tail. The dog's symptoms included noticeable skin lesions that worsened with stress. Researchers studied the dog's skin at a genetic level and found changes in immune-related genes, suggesting that the disease may be linked to the immune system. However, they did not find specific antibodies that are usually associated with this condition. Treatment options for dermatomyositis typically focus on managing symptoms and may include immunosuppressive medications.
People also search for: Shetland sheepdog skin problems · dog dermatomyositis treatment · autoimmune skin disease in dogs
Abstract
Dermatomyositis (DM) is a canine and human inflammatory disease of the skin and muscle that is thought to be autoimmune in nature. In dogs, DM occurs most often in the rough collie and Shetland sheepdog. Characteristic skin lesions typically develop on the face, ears, tail, and distal extremities. The severity of lesions varies and is thought to increase with stressful stimuli. Previous studies in the collie suggest that DM is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion with incomplete penetrance. The work presented here concerns gene transcripts profiling and immunobiology of DM in the Shetland sheepdog. Gene transcript profiles were generated for affected and normal skin using a canine-specific oligonucleotide array having 49,929 probe sets. Two-hundred and eight-five gene transcripts, many of which are involved in immune function, were found to be differentially regulated in these tissues. Also reported are Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence analyses which showed that staining patterns with sera from normal and affected dogs are quite similar. While our work suggests that canine DM is a disease that may be immune mediated, it did not detect the production of specific disease-associated autoantibodies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18336421/