Association of canine hypothyroidism with a common major histocompatibility complex DLA class II allele.

L. J. Kennedy, S. Quarmby, G. M. Happ, A. Barnes, I. K. Ramsey, R. M. Dixon, B. Catchpole, C. Rusbridge, P. A. Graham, N. S. Hillbertz, C. Roethe, W. J. Dodds, N. G. Carmichael,W. E. Ollier Tissue Antigens 2006; 68(1) :82-86.

the pdf is available online from George Happ’s website:

http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/~george_happ/2006b.pdf

Abstract:

Dogs exhibit a range of immune-mediated conditions including a lymphocytic thyroiditis which has many similarities to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in man. We have recently reported an association in Doberman Pinschers between canine hypothyroidism and a rare DLA class II haplotype that contains the DLA-DQA1*00101 allele. We now report a further series of 173 hypothyroid dogs in a range of breeds where a significant association with DLA-DQA1*00101 is shown.

Bottom line here is a conformation and more compelling evidence that the most common form of thyroid disease in dogs is typically a highly heritable disease associated wtih specific genes. All the more reason to test dogs using the OFA “gold standard” for thyroid testing (FT4D, cTSH, TgAA) which distinguished between variants of thyroid disease and even stages of this common, heritable disease, not only to screen to treat dogs with the disease early and so more effectively, but also to be able to better organize breeding plans to manage the expression of these genes.

It’s worth noting also that for all thyroid disease typically is “easily” treated with an inexpensive daily supplement, the underlying defect here is one of self-recognition, and the relentless destruction of the thyroid gland that results from such immune dysfunction. This sort of DLA gene problem means dogs with thyroid disease can also have Addison’s or diabetes, for example, or have close relatives with these other endocrine defects. So the strong indication is that these same few genes are behind several different forms of endocrine disease. And so this one gene could be behind several diseases that may appear different in symptoms but are similar in origin and identical in cause–this one gene.

Permission to repost is granted.

Dogs exhibit a range of immune-mediated conditions including a lymphocytic thyroiditis which has many similarities to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in man. We have recently reported an association in Doberman Pinschers between canine hypothyroidism and a rare DLA class II haplotype that contains the DLA-DQA1*00101 allele. We now report a further series of 173 hypothyroid dogs in a range of breeds where asignificant association with DLA-DQA1*00101 is shown.

Bottom line here is a conformation and more compelling evidence that the most common form of thyroid disease in dogs is typically a highly heritable disease associated wtih specific genes. All the more reasonto test dogs using the OFA “gold standard” for thyroid testing (FT4D, cTSH, TgAA) which distinguished between variants of thyroid disease and even stages of this common, heritable disease, not only to screento treat dogs with the disease early and so more effectively, but also to be able to better organize breeding plans to manage the expression of these genes.It’s worth noting also that for all thyroid disease typically is “easily” treated with an inexpensive daily supplement, the underlying defect here is one of self-recognition, and the relentless destruction of the thyroid gland that results from such immune dysfunction. This sort of DLA gene problem means dogs with thyroiddisease can also have Addison’s or diabetes, for example, or have close relatives with these other endocrine defects. So the strong indication is that these same few genes are behind several different forms of endocrine disease. And so this one gene could be behind several diseases that may appear different in symptoms but are similar in origin and identical in cause–this one gene.Permission to repost is granted.

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