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MYBPC3 Mutation Linked to Heart Death in Ragdoll Cats

By Borgeat, Kieran et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2014·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Association of the myosin binding protein C3 mutation (MYBPC3 R820W) with cardiac death in a survey of 236 Ragdoll cats.

Species:
cat

Plain-English summary

A survey of 236 Ragdoll cats found that those with a specific genetic mutation (MYBPC3 R820W) had a significantly shorter lifespan and were more likely to die from heart problems. Cats with two copies of this mutation lived an average of just 5.65 years, while those with one copy or none lived over 16 years. The study showed that homozygous Ragdolls (those with two copies of the mutation) faced a much higher risk of cardiac death compared to their heterozygous or wild-type counterparts. This information can help owners understand the risks associated with this genetic condition in Ragdolls.

People also search for: Ragdoll cat heart problems · MYBPC3 mutation in cats · Ragdoll lifespan with heart disease

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: A mutation identified in the myosin binding protein C3 gene (MYBPC3 R820W) has been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Ragdoll cats. Ragdolls with HCM are reported to have a poor prognosis and homozygous cats seem particularly likely to develop severe HCM, although the outcome in Ragdolls tested for the MYBPC3 mutation has not been reported. We aimed to determine the influence of genotype on survival in Ragdoll cats using a questionnaire, and hypothesized that homozygous Ragdolls had shorter lifespans and were more likely to suffer cardiac death than heterozygous or wild-type (WT) cats. ANIMALS: 251 client owned Ragdoll cats. METHODS: A questionnaire for breeders/owners of MYBPC3 genotyped Ragdolls included items related to genotype, age, sex, current status (alive/dead), and date and circumstances of death. Death was categorized as cardiac or non-cardiac. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and log rank tests. RESULTS: Completed questionnaires were received for 236 cats (156 WT, 68 heterozygous, 12 homozygous). Median survival time for homozygous cats was 5.65 years (95%CI 0.4-10.9 years) compared to heterozygous (>16.7 years) or WT (>15.2 years). Homozygous cats were more likely to die from cardiac death (p&#xa0;=&#xa0;0.004 vs. WT; p&#xa0;=&#xa0;0.003 vs. heterozygous) and had significantly shorter time to cardiac death (vs. WT p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.001; vs. heterozygous p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ragdoll cats homozygous for the MYBPC3 R820W mutation have a shorter survival time than WT or heterozygous cats. This suggests a mode of inheritance that follows an incomplete dominance pattern.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24906243/