We Need Your Help!

Bouvier Health Foundation is participating in an AKC Canine Health Foundation study for the discovery of DNA markers for glaucoma.

Gary Johnson, DVM, PhD, University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine head this study. It is a multi-breed study on Canine Lens Luxation and Glaucoma. These are both late onset eye diseases that cause pain and loss of vision, and sometimes require removal of one or both eyes. Heritable lens luxation, if not treated promptly, will induce secondary glaucoma. In addition, heritable primary glaucoma can cause secondary lens luxation. Since it is not always known whether lens luxation or glaucoma is the primary disease, it is believed rational to study both diseases together.

With this research, Dr. Johnson’s team is attempting to develop DNA marker assays that will identify dogs with the mutant genes responsible for these diseases. Early identification of these dogs would enable dog owners and their veterinarians to instigate measures to preserve their dogs’ eyesight and to adjust breeding practices to minimize or eradicate the disease. It is hoped that understanding the causative mutations will allow more successful treatments to be developed for affected dogs, and potentially for humans with these conditions.

OBJECTIVES:

— Recruit samples from a large number of affected individuals and their immediate family members (siblings, parents, grandparents, and offspring), from breeds of dogs known to have lens luxation and/or glaucoma.

— Evaluate the genotype of selected families to search for linkage between DNA markers and diagnosed lens luxation or glaucoma, then use this information to identify the causative mutation or mutations.

— Devise a DNA marker test that detects and distinguishes normal and mutant (disease-causing) alleles, and make this test available to dog breeders so that they can produce dogs who will not lose their sight to these diseases.

As of October 2001, samples from 402 dogs representing 10 different breeds have been submitted for this project. Included in this total are 73 affected dogs.

Participation by the owners of affected dogs and their relatives is essential to the success of this project. Clinically normal dogs in families with affected animals are as important to sample as the affected dogs. Complete or nearly complete families are critical to the success of this research. Participation is confidential. The names of individual owners or dogs will not be revealed.

All that is required is a blood sample. The ideal sample for DNA extraction is 5 to 10cc’s of whole blood, in purple-topped (EDTA) tubes. Ideally the sample should be shipped immediately. If held for a day or a weekend, blood must be refrigerated. Ship via overnight delivery on any day but Friday. Pack in a small insulated container with one or more cool packs. It is important that blood samples be kept cool but not frozen. Deliver to:

Dr. Gary Johnson

Bouvier DNA Research

320 Connaway Hall

University of Missouri

Columbia, MO 65211