PBGV Foundation - Research

HEALTH AND RESCUE
FOUNDATION
of the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen Club of America

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Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

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Current Research Project
"Histocompatibility alleles conferring susceptibility to canine diabetes, immune-mediated thyroiditis and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia"

is a research project being sponsored by PBGVCA and funded by the PBGV Health and Rescue Foundation.

This is a genetic research project that includes efforts to evaluate genetic material from affected dogs to see if any or all three of the three diseases being studied have manageable numbers of related alleles so that diagnostic tests can be developed for identifying dogs at risk. For this project cheek swabs from 100 affected dogs for each of the 3 autoimmune diseases being studied will be collected at 3 large veterinary clinics (1 in Utah; 2 in Kansas), so affected dogs will be from any breed.

The first year of the project will be more generally focused across all breeds represented, with the second year focusing on those breeds that are well represented and show promise for further study towards the project objectives.

We have arranged to be able to submit DNA from PBGV’s affected with at least one of the three identified diseases to be included in this project, although we would want to move quickly to be sure that as many affected PBGV’s as possible are included. Cheek swabs are sufficient for this project and the University will provide us with collection kits for distribution.....MORE INFO

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Below are links to related articles and website :

Canine Lens Luxation and Glaucoma Research Project - Part One
(From the Final Progress Report for Canine Health Foundation Grant #2291)

The two-year Canine Lens Luxation and Glaucoma Research Project, carried out by Gary S.Johnson, DVM, PhD, at the University of Missouri - College of Veterinary Medicine has ended. The Health and Rescue Foundation of PBGVCA funded this research project, which began in early 2002. Our membership supported this project by providing DNA samples of affected dogs and families of those dogs to the PBGV DNA Bank at the University of Missouri. Following are the first three of six research objectives and progress during the two-year period.

1. To accumulate DNA from individual dogs with lens luxation and/or glaucoma and their relatives. Samples were collected from 48 with primary lens luxation and 92 with primary glaucoma. Thirty-eight of the 718 samples included were from PBGV’s. Of these samples, 3 of the 92 dogs affected with glaucoma were PBGV’s; 2 of the 48 dogs affected with lens luxation were PBGV’s; and 1 of the 10 dogs affected with both was a PBGV.

2. To examine individual dogs with lens luxation and/or glaucoma to define the phenotype as closely as possible. Two veterinary ophthalmologists examined 27 dogs with lens luxation and 69 dogs with glaucoma. Based on their conclusions and experience, a survey questionnaire was developed for owners of dogs diagnosed with glaucoma. 3. To create a canine glaucoma/lens luxation internet website similar to the University of Missouri canine epilepsy site. The site is online and available at www.CanineGeneticDiseases.net, under “Glaucoma and Lens Luxation”. Part Two of this report will deal with the three DNA-related objectives. CHF has received some extra material from the University of Missouri related to the final

3 objectives, but we have not yet received it as of the Saber Tails deadline. As we want this report to be as thorough as possible, we are writing this report in two parts

Recombinant Thyrotropin (TSH): Standard for the Next Generation of Canine TSH Immunoassays with Improved Sensitivity - Research Project report.
(Taken by Nancy Dorsey, MD and Lauren Kovaleff from the first six month Progress Report for Canine Health Foundation

The purpose of this highly technical research project is to attempt to develop improved TSH (thyroid) testing methods. Current testing methods result in a high number of false positives and negatives, making diagnosing and treating difficult. A component of the test(s), the reagents (chemicals) or equipment or test methods themselves, causes some samples to appear to be positive when they are not, or the reverse, causes some samples to appear normal when they are not. Research such as this looks at different aspects of the tests to try to find different technology, different chemicals, etc., that don’t cause the false positives or negatives. This is tedious, time consuming and complex work. In many situations new technology is needed for research in an area to progress. This project is about reviewing and studying various testing methods to determine if advances in research and technology are now available to be used to develop more accurate testing.

Fairly significant progress was reported in first 6 months as it related to identifying reagents (chemicals) for testing products that provide the highest quality results and have the least false negative and false positive results. They were also able to validate these findings, which will enable the researchers to enter a new phase in their testing process.

For purposes of this report we have not gone into a detailed explanation of the method findings as it is difficult to translate into lay terms, but anyone interested can contact us for a more technical description.

The Health & Rescue Foundation of PBGVCA
is a registered 501 (c) 3 public nonprofit organization.
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