That depends upon the extent that you want to understand PKD. At the lowest level -- that PKD is an inherited disease that can be largely eliminated by ultrasounding breeding stock and removing positives from your breeding program -- there's probably no need to understand genetics. However, if you're the type of person who wants to understand as much about PKD as possible, then you will need to understand the genetic terminology that frequents discussions about PKD.

PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) is a progressive, genetic disease of the kidneys. It occurs in humans, cats, dogs, and other animals. PKD is characterized by the presence of multiple cysts in each Kidney (i.e, bilateral). (See also Is a Single Cyst in One Kidney Conclusive for PKD? and Can Kidney Cysts be Caused by Something Other Than PKD?, below). Research at Ohio State University conducted by Dr.

In humans, there are two modes of inheritance: autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive (with at least two, and possibly three different autosomal dominant forms of PKD caused by different genes at different loci). To date, only the autosomal dominant form has been identified in cats. To quote Dr. DiBartola, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Co-Editor of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (one of the Dr.

Currently, the best method to diagnose PKD in living cats is by ultrasounding the kidneys. Other radiological modalities have been used, but have proven to be generally less accurate and more costly. However, even the most skilled sonographer using the best equipment cannot be 100 percent accurate in diagnosing PKD via ultrasound, since the resolution afforded by ultrasound is not sufficient to detect very small cysts.

PKD itself has no symptoms. Only when PKD has progressed to the point of causing renal failure will symptoms occur, and those symptoms will be those associated with renal failure, and not PKD specific. quot;Many cats with PKD will never develop kidney failure so they will have no physical symptoms at all. Their routine blood tests will be normal. Other cats will develop kidney failure, depending on the severity of their disease and how rapidly the cysts grow.

Genetics is the study of inheritance, or the way traits are passed down from one generation to another. Genes carry the instructions for making proteins, which in turn direct the activities of cells and functions of the body that influence traits such as hair and eye color. Genomics is a newer term that describes the study of all the genes in a person, as well as interactions of those genes with each other and with that person’s environment. Learn more

The issue of genetics is very important, but it becomes for many people a way to defer responsibility. Of course, everyone has genes and everyone's genes are different. And some people have big bones and will be larger than others with small bones. But, saying that we are larger here in America because we have some unique gene is absurd. Sorry. It's ridiculous. We are a melting pot of genes.

To date, there is no proof whether PKD positive homozygotes (PP) exist or not. We may not know the answer to this question until a DNA test is available and that test has been used on a significant number of PKD positive cats. quot;In all likelihood, the homozygous state (PP) for ADPKD probably is not viable.

Based on Dr. Biller's research, and reports from more than 5,000 ultrasounds worldwide since April, 1998, PKD does not appear to be sex linked. Therefore, males and females can both have PKD, and can both pass PKD on to their offspring.

No. Although PKD appears to be more prevalent among Persians (including Himalayans) and Exotics, ultrasound results to date have also found PKD in American Curls, American Shorthairs, Siamese and Scottish Folds, as well as Household Pets, Domestic Shorthairs, and Feral cats. An Oriental Shorthair was also diagnosed with PKD as the result of a necropsy.

Although anyone with access to ultrasound equipment and minimal knowledge of ultrasound can do the testing, the quality and accuracy of the test results appear to be directly proportional to the skill, training, and experience of the sonographer doing the testing. Ultrasound testing can be expensive (as high as $275 US per cat in some private practices, and $25 to $50 US per cat in special PKD "Clinics").

Yes. However, cysts in non-Persian cats are relatively rare, regardless of the cause. So the current theory is that almost all cysts found in Persians and related breeds will be PKD cysts. Dr. Biller will be conducting research to help establish exactly how frequently cysts are found in non-persian cats. This study should help us understand the frequency of non-PKD kidney cysts in Persians, and possibly even provide clues about how they can be differentiated from PKD cysts using ultrasound.

No, at least not in Persians. PKD positives have been found in virtually all major lines of Persians. However, it is at least possible that a few lines with very small gene pools, particularly if they are not descended from the hand-full of pre-potent cats upon which many of today's Persians owe their lineage, may not have PKD in those lines. However, it is also important to note that virtually all major lines of Persians have PKD negative cats too.

No. All evidence to date suggests that there is no relationship between a cat's color and the presence or frequency of PKD.

If a normal cat lived forever, PKD cats would eventually progress to the point where renal failure occurs, and would eventually die of renal failure. However, in real life, it is believed that most PKD cats actually die from something other than renal failure due to PKD. So the practical answer to this question is no, most PKD positive cats will not die from PKD. However, as Dr. DiBartola notes in a private e-mail, in the Ohio study he and Dr.

There is currently no known cure for PKD, in cats or in humans. While a Kidney Transplant may eliminate the cysts and allow a particular individual to live symptom free, the underlying genetic makeup for that individual is still one of a PKD positive, and that individual can still pass the disease on to its offspring. Similarly, dialysis can replace the function of failed kidneys, but does not change the underlying disease state.

Based on all available information, not many Persian catteries of any size have zero positives, at least unless they've already tested and eliminated positives from their breeding program. So if "unscathed" means "no PKD positives", the answer is that not many catteries are unscathed. And because we've never been able to identify PKD positives before, the only reason any cattery would be unscathed is pure, blind luck.

Why? Because PKD is a genetic disease, not a communicable disease. So any cattery lucky enough to have only PKD negative foundation stock AND never bring in a PKD positive cannot produce PKD positive cats, and thus will be a PKD free cattery.

PKD expresses itself differently in each cat. And, based on the best information available, it appears that most PKD positive cats die from other reasons -- not from End Stage Renal Failure resulting from PKD. So it is entirely possible to have PKD positives and never have a cat exhibit the signs of renal failure, much less die from PKD. PKD can only be detected by ultrasound or necropsy. Most if not all PKD cases would be picked up on necropsy with histopathology, if that were routinely done.

There's a useful web site which reports statistics on PKD testing to date. Although I'm sure there are many catteries who, for one reason or another, have chosen not to report their results, I find this the best source of information currently available. Taking the stats for US Catteries through 10/8/98 and using MS Excel to manipulate the data, I came up with the following information: Slightly less than one half of the US cats tested are included in the Cattery stats (1547 vs.

Most experts believe that there is a genetic base to vitiligo which leads to susceptibility. In about 12% of families where a person has vitiligo, the condition is seen in another family member. Though no one else in your family may show signs of vitiligo, it is still possible that it is passed on genetically. The most likely reason for this is that more than one gene is responsible for the development of vitiligo. In fact, a combination of genes that may prove to be involved.

stated above, male or female pattern baldness is a genetic condition that affects more than 50 million men and women in the United States. Whether or not you will lose your hair and when is determined before you are born. However, there are other hair replacement options available.

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Although not the primary cause of male-pattern hair loss, genetics does have a significant role in male-pattern hair loss. It is, however, polygenic, in that there is more than one factor at work. It is not clear whether having an affected mother or an affected father predisposes descendants to greater risks.

No. By definition, PKD is a genetic disease (see What Is PKD?, above). In addition, there is no evidence I've seen or heard of that even links food additives, the environment, or anything else to the growth rate of PKD cysts or the severity of PKD.

Like Radar and Sonar, Ultrasound uses the echoes of sound waves to produce images. In the case of Ultrasound, these sound waves are transmitted through a transducer, and partially reflected back to the transducer by the body's tissue. Human hearing is typically in the frequency range under 18,000 Hz (18 kHz). Bats and whales use frequencies in the range of 100 kHz. In contrast, Ultrasound uses frequencies above 1 MHz (1,000,000 Hz).

Absent any other information, the classic answer is "no, PKD is bilateral and requires multiple cysts". However, evidence suggests that cysts from other causes are relatively rare.