Genetics - news

Genetics Newsletter 4-2012

Genetic diseases in the dermatology

Genetic diseases in the neurology

New at LABOKLIN: IGS in the Border Collie



 

Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS) is an inherited systemic connective tissue disorder that is prevalent in Warmblood horses.
Skin lacks tensile strength (extreme skin fragility characterized by tearing, ulceration, etc. from contact with normal surroundings). Lesions occur anywhere on the body, but are most noted on pressure points and in addition to skin wounds, lesions are found on the gums and other oral cavity mucous membranes and the perineum.
Limb joints are lax and hyperextensible. Fetlocks are the most dramatically affected and affected foals cannot stand normally. Affected foals must be euthanized soon after birth.
Research at the Cornell University has identified the gene responsible for the condition known as WFFS. Due to Licensing agreements LABOKLIN can exclusively offer the WFFS DNA test in Europe.

Breed all Warmblood Horses and related breed

Concerning FIP diagnostics, a new and more sensitive PCR is now available for the investigation of aspirates (ascites, thoracic effusion, cerebrospinal fluid), tissue and EDTA blood. In addition to the detection of coronavirus, this new PCR offers - in a further step - the possibility to determine mutations based on the publication of Chang et al., 2012 (PMID: 22709821). In this study, two mutations in the spike protein of feline coronaviruses were found, which correlate with FIP disease.
Coronaviruses in faeces do not exhibit the described mutations. For that reason, a oro-fecal infection with these specific virus mutants seems very unlikely. However, the fecal analysis via PCR remains a suitable dignostic tool for the direct detection of virus-shedding cats.