Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Early heart function changes in Maine coon cats with A31P gene
By Pellegrino, Arine et al.·Published in Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire·2017·College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of regional left ventricular systolic function by strain imaging echocardiography in phenotypically normal and abnormal Maine coon cats tested for the A31P mutation in the MYBPC3 gene.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of Maine Coon cats, some showing signs of heart disease and others appearing healthy, were tested for a genetic mutation linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition that can cause heart dysfunction. Researchers used a special ultrasound technique called strain imaging echocardiography to assess heart function. They found that even cats that looked normal on standard tests had lower heart function measurements if they carried the mutation. While this method was effective in spotting heart issues in cats with HCM, it couldn't identify which healthy cats had the genetic mutation. This suggests that strain imaging could help monitor heart health in Maine Coons, especially those at risk for HCM.
People also search for: Maine Coon heart disease symptoms · cat heart disease testing · hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats · strain imaging echocardiography for cats
Abstract
Myocardial dysfunction occurs in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but little is known about the early stages of the disease. Strain imaging echocardiography is a method that enables the quantitative assessment of myocardial function and deformity, allowing the characterization of systolic dysfunction. The objective of this study was to assess systolic function using strain imaging echocardiography in Maine coon cats genetically tested for the A31P mutation in the MYBPC3 gene, with and without ventricular hypertrophy. For this purpose, 57 Maine coon cats of both genders, with an unknown status regarding the mutation at inclusion, were included prospectively and evaluated by conventional and strain imaging echocardiography. Comparisons were made among cats without hypertrophy (= 45), suspect cats (= 7), and cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (= 5), and also between the heterozygous for the mutation group (= 26) and the negative for the mutation group (= 28). Finally, in the group of phenotypically normal cats, heterozygous cats carrying the mutation were compared to cats without the mutation. Strain values were compared among the groups (blinded prospective study). While echocardiography demonstrated normal contractility, strain values (middle of the septum) were lower in HCM cats. Strain values (base of anterior wall of the left ventricle) were lower in heterozygous than in negative cats, even before hypertrophy. Negative correlation was observed between some values of myocardial strain and thickness. While strain imaging echocardiography was able to detect systolic abnormalities, despite apparent normality on conventional echocardiography, it was not able to identify cats that carry the A31P mutation in the MYBPC3 gene. Strain imaging echocardiography could be a useful tool, however, for detecting systolic alterations in HCM cats with an apparently normal systolic function or for detecting alterations in normal carriers of the MYBPC3 gene mutation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28408782/