Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Genes linked to idiopathic epilepsy in Vizslas, ESS, GSMD, and Beagles
By Ekenstedt, Kari J et al.·Published in BMC genetics·2011·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Candidate genes for idiopathic epilepsy in four dog breeds.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at idiopathic epilepsy (IE), a seizure disorder that can affect dogs, particularly in Vizslas, English Springer Spaniels, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, and Beagles. Researchers examined specific genes thought to be linked to epilepsy in humans to see if they were also involved in these dog breeds. They found that most of the candidate genes did not show a strong connection to IE in these dogs, suggesting that other genes might be responsible for the condition. This means that while some genetic factors may play a role, the exact cause of epilepsy in these breeds remains unclear.
People also search for: dog seizure disorder Vizsla · Beagle epilepsy treatment · English Springer Spaniel seizures causes
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Idiopathic epilepsy (IE) is a naturally occurring and significant seizure disorder affecting all dog breeds. Because dog breeds are genetically isolated populations, it is possible that IE is attributable to common founders and is genetically homogenous within breeds. In humans, a number of mutations, the majority of which are genes encoding ion channels, neurotransmitters, or their regulatory subunits, have been discovered to cause rare, specific types of IE. It was hypothesized that there are simple genetic bases for IE in some purebred dog breeds, specifically in Vizslas, English Springer Spaniels (ESS), Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs (GSMD), and Beagles, and that the gene(s) responsible may, in some cases, be the same as those already discovered in humans. RESULTS: Candidate genes known to be involved in human epilepsy, along with selected additional genes in the same gene families that are involved in murine epilepsy or are expressed in neural tissue, were examined in populations of affected and unaffected dogs. Microsatellite markers in close proximity to each candidate gene were genotyped and subjected to two-point linkage in Vizslas, and association analysis in ESS, GSMD and Beagles. CONCLUSIONS: Most of these candidate genes were not significantly associated with IE in these four dog breeds, while a few genes remained inconclusive. Other genes not included in this study may still be causing monogenic IE in these breeds or, like many cases of human IE, the disease in dogs may be likewise polygenic.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21518446/