Study Start Date: 02/22/2021
Study End Date: 02/22/2024

Transcriptome Profiling of Canine Familial Dermatomyositis (DMS) Skin Lesions and Treatment in Collies and Shetland sheepdogs.

Cutaneous dermatomyositis (DMS) is a chronic immune-mediated disease that exhibits severe inflammatory lesions leading to skin scarring with disfiguration. The inflammatory skin process in human DMS is characterized by an upregulated interferon signature and activation of Janus kinase (JAK) pathway; the JAK inhibitors represent a novel treatment modality for human cutaneous DMS. Presently, little is known about the pathogenesis of canine familial DMS-associated skin lesions in Collies and Shetland Sheepdogs and the treatment is rarely successful. Oclacitinib is safe and well-tolerated JAK inhibitor that has been used for the control or treatment of allergic dermatitis in dogs; however, the therapeutic effect of oclacitinib on canine familial DMS has not been investigated.

Study Design:
Prospective transcriptome profiling

Sample Size:
20 dogs of each breed

Inclusion Criteria:

• Client-owned Collies and Shetland Sheepdogs of any age, body weight and sex, with active cutaneous DMS diagnosed based on currently accepted standards (i.e. compatible history, clinical signs and microscopic demonstration of cell-poor interface dermatitis with vasculopathy, follicular atrophy and fibrosis on previous skin biopsy) will be enrolled into the study.

Samples:
Once the patient is accepted into the study, the primary investigator will be in contact with the clients to organize a one-time skin biopsy collection procedure at a veterinary dermatologist clinic or a primary veterinarian clinic. The primary investigator is responsible for the shipments of all materials. Samples can be sent from other clinics/owners.

Costs/Reimbursements
After inclusion, the investigator will contact the client to organize sample collection and shipping. Costs will be covered by the investigator.

Full Disclosure information:
The study is funded by a grant from AKC Canine Health Foundation and Collie Health Foundation.
The investigator does not have a conflict of interest.
The study will be published if results are negative
The authors will acknowledge VIN if the study is published 

Date published: 07/20/2022