Project description:The Gut health in multiple joint osteoarthritis (MJOA) study leverages data from parallel community-based cohorts in humans and in pet dogs to elucidate the role of altered microbiota in MJOA. One hundred Johnston County Health Study human participants were 35 to 70 years of age at enrollment (2022-2023), self-identified as Hispanic, White, or Black, and lived in Johnston County, North Carolina. Demographic, clinical information, multiple joint radiographs, and stool samples for microbiome profiling by 16S rRNA gene sequencing were obtained from all participants. Similar data were collected from an independent group of pet dogs (N=115) from the local community, at the North Carolina State University (NCSU) College of Veterinary Medicine. The central hypothesis of the study is that intestinal permeability, with or without dysbiosis, is a major driver in the development and worsening of MJOA.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of dog muscle tissue comparing control dogs. tested, genomewide, for genes differentially expressed in muscle between the escapers and the affected dogs. Using Agilent mRNA SurePrint Canine arrays, we compared muscle gene expression of the two escapers, four affected, and four normal dogs at age 2 years.
