Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Genetic variants linked to liver copper disease in Labrador Retrievers
By Langlois, Daniel K et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2022·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: ATP7A, ATP7B, and RETN genotypes in Labrador Retrievers with and without copper-associated hepatopathy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Labrador Retrievers was studied to understand the genetic factors behind copper-associated liver disease, which can lead to serious health issues. Out of 90 dogs, 45 had liver problems linked to excess copper, while 29 were healthy. Researchers found that a specific genetic variant (ATP7B) was more common in dogs with liver disease compared to healthy ones, but not all affected dogs had this variant, indicating that other factors may also play a role. This suggests that while genetic testing can provide insights, it may not always predict liver disease in Labradors.
People also search for: Labrador Retriever liver disease symptoms · copper-associated hepatopathy in dogs · genetic testing for liver problems in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of previously reported coding variants in the ATP7A, ATP7B, and RETN genes in a US population of Labrador Retrievers and to explore potential associations of these genotypes with pathologic hepatic copper accumulation. SAMPLE: Archived hepatic specimens from 90 Labrador Retrievers collected between 2013 and 2021. PROCEDURES: The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory database was searched to identify archived tissues from Labrador Retrievers that had undergone hepatic histopathologic assessment. Cases were classified into control, copper-associated hepatopathy (CAH), and intermediate populations on the basis of histopathologic features and hepatic copper accumulation. The DNA was extracted from archived tissues and genotyped for reported variants in the 3 genes. Allele frequencies were determined, and associations of genotypes with CAH status were evaluated. RESULTS: 29 control dogs, 45 CAH dogs, and 16 intermediate dogs were included in the study. The overall ATP7A and RETN variant allele frequencies were 30% and 13%, respectively, and were not significantly different among control, CAH, and intermediate populations. The ATP7B variant allele frequency was significantly higher in the CAH population (30%) as compared to the control population (13%). However, 21 of 45 (47%) CAH dogs did not have an ATP7B variant allele whereas 7 of 28 (25%) control dogs did have an ATP7B variant allele. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Study results supported a contributory role for the ATP7B variant in CAH pathogenesis in Labrador Retrievers. However, the application of genetic testing in a clinical setting is complicated by genotypic variability within healthy and diseased dogs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35482566/