Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Hot Potato

Someone referred me to a post (regarding DSLD-ESPA and a certain report) on another website.  Please click here to refer back to a previous blog entry that addresses the "report" referred to on the other website.  Incidentally, that "report" was NOT accepted by NAPHA. 

In addition, the information below is from an article by Dr Eleanor Kellon found in the Feb '06 issue of The Horse Journal.
In fact, Dr. Gus Cothran is hot on the trail of genes that may be linked with DSLD and is focusing on areas where genetic changes have been described in association with human diseases that bear a strong resemblance to equine DSLD, such as the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. 
Ehlers-Danlos is actually a constellation of several different types of connective tissue disorders, with different genetic changes, so pinning this down could take some time if the situation in horses is similar. There are many clinical similarities between E-D and DSLD.  In addition to the abnormal ligaments and tendons, human patients may have changes in their intestinal-tract walls, which leads to bouts of abdominal pain, eye changes, arterial changes and odd progeria (premature aging) or very loose skin. The hope is that the genetic work will eventually lead to a diagnostic test for DSLD. For the moment, most involved with this disease feel very strongly that affected horses should not be bred.
(Click on image to enlarge)

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