Search

Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a common eye disease affecting up to 3-15% of the horse population. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the Illumina equine SNP50 bead chip was performed to identify loci conferring risk to ERU. The sample included a total of 144 German warmblood horses. A GWAS showed a significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on horse chromosome (ECA) 20 at 49.3 Mb, with IL-17A and IL-17F being the closest genes. This locus explained a fraction of 23% of the phenotypic variance for ERU. A GWAS taking into account the severity of ERU, revealed a SNP on ECA18 nearby to the crystalline gene cluster CRYGA-CRYGF. For both genomic regions on ECA18 and 20, significantly associated haplotypes containing the genome-wide significant SNPs could be demonstrated. In conclusion, our results are indicative for a genetic component regulating the possible critical role of IL-17A and IL-17F in the pathogenesis of ERU. The associated SNP on ECA18 may be indicative for cataract formation in the course of ERU.

A 9-year-old male Jack Russell Terrier with a history of travel to Thailand was presented with chronic lethargy, weight loss, unilateral anterior uveitis, pancytopenia, hyperglobulinemia, and proteinuria. Numerous trypomastigotes were found on a blood smear, and using molecular methods the parasite was identified as Trypanosoma evansi. After initial response to treatment, the dog experienced a relapse with central neurologic signs 88 days after initial presentation and died. Antibodies to T evansi were detected in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using a card agglutination test (CATT/T evansi), and PCR analysis of CSF for T evansi was positive. Findings at necropsy included marked non-purulent meningoencephalitis. Chronic infection with T evansi in a dog that returned to Germany following international travel highlights the risk associated with introduction of foreign animal diseases to Europe and the possibility of these infections becoming endemic. Detection of chronic infection and curative therapy of trypanosomiasis are challenging, and infection is usually fatal in the dog., (© 2012 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.)