Genetic Mapping of Canine ARVC in the English Bulldog and Boxer

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a leading cause of death in the boxer dog. ARVC is associated with ventricular arrhythmias, sudden death, and infiltration of the right ventricle (RV) with fat and fibrous tissue. Mapping ARVC in the boxer is complicated by a high prevalence of ARVC, difficulty of making a definitive diagnosis, and an incomplete penetrance of ventricular arrhythmias. Thus, despite concerted efforts to map the genetic basis of canine ARVC in the boxer, the underlying genetic cause remains a mystery. Although ARVC is most common in the boxer, the prevalence of the disease is too high to construct a control group suitable for genetic mapping studies. To address this limitation, we are planning an evolutionarily-inspired approach to map the genetic basis of canine ARVC.