title: Association of dilated cardiomyopathy with the striatin mutation genotype in boxer dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myocardial disease in the Boxer dog is characterized by 1 of 2 clinical presentations, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) characterized by ventricular systolic dysfunction, dilatation and tachyarrhythmias, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) characterized by ventricular tachyarrhythmias, syncope, and sudden death. Boxer ARVC has been associated with a deletion in the striatin gene in some families.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesized that both presentations represent a single disease, and the development of DCM in the Boxer is associated with the striatin deletion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three adult Boxer dogs with DCM, 29 adult Boxer dogs with the striatin deletion and ARVC, and 16 Boxers without cardiac disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA samples were evaluated for the striatin deletion. Association of the deletion with the DCM phenotype was tested by a Fisher's exact test. T-tests were used to evaluate potential differences between the positive heterozygous and positive homozygous groups with DCM with regard to age, LVIDD, LVIDS, and FS%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty of 33 dogs with DCM were positive for the striatin deletion. The striatin mutation and the homozygous genotype were strongly associated with the DCM phenotype (P < .001 and P = .005). There was no statistical difference between the heterozygous and homozygous groups with regard to age and echocardiographic measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates an association between DCM in the Boxer dog and the striatin mutation, particularly with the homozygous genotype. The observation that 3/33 dogs developed DCM and lacked the striatin mutation suggests that there is at least 1 other cause of DCM in the Boxer dog.
authors.affiliation: North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC; Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbus, OH.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Meurs
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Sisson
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kittleson
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ames
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: DeFrancesco
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Keene
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Reina Doreste
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leuthy
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Motsinger-Reif
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Tou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017384:Sequence Deletion / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D004247:DNA
keywords: Boxer; Dilated cardiomyopathy; Mutation; Striatin