The University of Minnesota is seeking horses to study Pergolide response in equines with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) or Cushing’s disease.
PPID is a common disease affecting older horses that has significant impacts ranging from loss of use to death. PPID treatment is aimed at slowing the progression of the disease and managing clinical signs. Pergolide is the gold standard of PPID treatment. It is well known that horses respond differently to this treatment and adverse effects are relatively common.
The long-term goal of the study is to establish how genetics contribute to the differences in how horses respond to pergolide treatment and the presence of adverse effects.
Does Your Horse Qualify?
In order to complete this important research, the University of Minnesota needs your help in enrolling the appropriate horses to study. They are looking for horses that meet the following criteria:
- Over the age of 15 at the time of PPID diagnosis.
- Diagnosis made by veterinarian and diagnosis included bloodwork (ACTH levels).
- Horse has/had clinical signs consistent with PPID (long shaggy haircoat, muscle atrophy, changes in mentation, or recurrent infections).
- Horse has been on pergolide therapy for a minimum of 6 months and has had recheck blood values (ACTH, TRH stim, or dexamethasone suppression).
If this describes your horse, the University of Minnesota asks you to consider contributing to equine research by enrolling in the study. If you have questions regarding eligibility, email the researchers at eggl-ppidstudy@umn.edu.
Horse owners with more than one PPID horse are welcome to submit multiple surveys. Participation includes providing medical records, and hair roots/blood samples for however many horses you decide to enroll.
Below is detailed information on what is requested in this study. All information is necessary for your horse(s) to be considered in the study.
Part 1: Survey information
Complete the enrollment survey, including general information, horse information, PPID clinical signs and diagnosis, and pergolide treatment and response.
The survey contains 35-65 questions, based on the response of your questions. It will take approximately 15-30 minutes to complete. If you need to stop the survey for any reason, you may return to it by following the survey link. Your answers will remain where you left off so long as you have not cleared your browser history and you are using the same computer and browser (i.e. Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer) as when you first started the survey. If you do not return to the survey within 14 days from the last time you accessed it, you will have to restart the survey. Therefore, please make sure you review the owner checklist (pdf) before starting the survey.
Part 2: Submit horse samples
Collect and mail samples for any horses that you have submitted surveys. Instructions for collecting and mailing in hair roots or blood samples are: How to Collect Hair Roots or Blood Samples (pdf).
You may choose to send in either a hair roots sample or a blood sample. These hair root and blood samples will be used to genotype your horses for potential genetic alleles (mutations) related to pergolide response and PPID genetics. If you choose to submit a blood sample, you will need help from your veterinarian.
Please mail in hair roots/blood samples for each horse from the survey with a sample submission sheet (pdf). When you are sending samples, please send an email with the tracking number and items you sent ASAP to ensure prompt receipt of the delivery.
Part 3: Submit Medical records to Study
Please email all pertinent medical records (including ACTH, TRH stim, or dexamethasone suppression blood work results) to study coordinators. Additionally, photos of your horses clinical signs are requested.
Submission Checklist
To be eligible for enrollment in the study, all of the following components must be received by the UMN research team. They are Dr. Molly McCue of the University of Minnesota, Dr. Dianne McFarlane of the University of Florida and Dr. Lauren Hughes of the University of Minnesota.
- Survey (one for each horse)
-
Hair roots or blood sample (pdf) mailed to UMN for each horse
- Sample submission form (pdf) included with shipment
- Email when shipping
- Copy of medical records (including ACTH, TRH stim, or dexamethasone suppression blood work)
If you choose to participate, please be mindful to submit all the requested information above. All information you provide and results in this study will be kept confidential. Participation is completely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time.
Contact the research team by emailing them at eggl-ppidstudy@umn.edu.
