title: Inheritance of equine sarcoid disease in Franches-Montagnes horses.
abstract: The mode of inheritance for susceptibility to equine sarcoid disease (ES) remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to analyse a large sample of the Franches-Montagnes (FM) horse population and investigate the heritability and mode of inheritance for susceptibility to ES. Horses were clinically examined for the presence of sarcoid tumours. A standardized examination protocol and client questionnaire were used and a pedigree- and subsequent segregation-analysis for the ES trait performed. To investigate the mode of inheritance, five models were evaluated and compared in a hierarchical way. The analyses reveal that variation in susceptibility to ES is best explained by a model incorporating polygenic variation. The possible effect of a major gene, such as specific equine leukocyte antigen alleles, is unlikely, but cannot be ruled-out entirely. The heritability of the phenotype on the observation scale for the trait 'affected with ES' was estimated to be 8%. A corrected value for the heritability on a liability scale was estimated at 21% and it is therefore possible to estimate breeding values for ES. The arguments against the practical implementation of an estimated breeding value in a multifactorial condition like ES are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, University of Berne and ALP-Haras, Länggasstrasse 124, Postfach 8466, CH-3001 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Garance
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Christen
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, University of Berne and ALP-Haras, Länggasstrasse 124, Postfach 8466, CH-3001 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Vinzenz
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics, University of Berne, Bremgartenstrasse 109a, Postfach 8466, CH-3001 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gaudenz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dolf
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, University of Berne and ALP-Haras, Länggasstrasse 124, Postfach 8466, CH-3001 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, University of Berne and ALP-Haras, Länggasstrasse 124, Postfach 8466, CH-3001 Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: christoph.koch@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D006736:Horses; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Breeding; Heritability; Horse; Sarcoid; Segregation analysis