28 Feb 2022
First genome-wide association study specifically evaluates renal function and blood pressure traits in domestic cats.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image: EVG Culture / Pexels
Researchers at the RVC have conducted “the world’s first genome-wide association study (GWAS)” to evaluate renal function and blood pressure traits in cats.
Studying a large population of cats, those behind the study hope it will pave the way to generating new and important information about how the complex conditions chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension (HTN) develop in cats.
Around a third of cats older than 10 have CKD, where clinical signs include weight loss, poor appetite, lethargy, and increased thirst and urination. An estimated 600,000 cats in the UK are suspected to have it.
Around 40% of CKD cats also have high blood pressure, which can have implications for eyesight, the nervous system and the heart.
Roseanne Jepson, principal investigator at the RVC, led the research team with joint first author Helen Warren from Queen Mary University of London and Patricia Munroe.
The team examined archives from 1,022 domestic cats seen at the RVC’s Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital and Bow PDSA Pet Hospital since 1992, and was looking specifically for genetic associations with CKD and HTN using a GWAS approach.
The GWAS approach used a special feline array to characterise more than 63,000 genetic differences in the feline genome and the influence of the genes on the disease traits were examined.
Pathways and proteins controlled by the genes could indicate novel mechanisms for disease development, and the study highlighted potential for using the approach to future investigation of complex disease conditions.
Dr Jepson said: “This was an exciting opportunity to explore potential genetic influences on the development of CKD and systemic HTN in cats, collaborating with key opinion leaders who work and have published extensively in this field in human medicine.
“These conditions are complex – meaning that there are many factors relating to genetics, lifestyle and environment that cumulatively determine whether an individual may develop either CKD or HTN in their lifetime.
“This study has shown us, as proof of concept, that large-scale genomic studies will be important for understanding the pathogenesis of such complex disease conditions, and may help to identify novel pathways as targets for diagnosis and management in the future.”
The research – funded by Petplan Charitable Trust, Foundation for Feline Renal Research and the Morris Animal Foundation – is published in Nature.
