title: Heritability and transmission analysis of necrotizing meningoencephalitis in the Pug.
abstract: Necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME) in the Pug is an invariably fatal disease with an early age of onset whose cause remains unknown. Breed predilection strongly suggests genetic component(s), and viral etiology proves negative in studied cases. The current study was undertaken as the first analysis of the heritable component(s) involved in NME in the Pug. Complete medical records, individual characteristics, and pedigree information were collected for 58 affected dogs with data pertaining to 4698 dogs analyzed. A high inbreeding coefficient with differences across gender and significant differences across coat color classes and variable expression was evident. Median onset age was 19months and median survival time 23days. Screening for herpes-, adeno-, and parvoviruses was negative. The data demonstrate a strong familial inheritance of NME in the Pug. This investigation provides parameters of disease from the largest Pug NME cohort analyzed to date and offers evidence of previously unrecognized familial inheritance.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University East, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, 2325 Chester Blvd., Richmond, IN 47374, United States. kagreer@indiana.edu
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Greer
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Schatzberg
authors.forename: Brian F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Kim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Famula
authors.forename: Keith E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006200:Hair Color / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D004247:DNA