Transcriptomic profile of peripheral blood reveals potential genetic biomarkers for diagnosis of Osteoarthritis in German shepherd dogs

Canine forms of osteoarthritis (OA) are very similar to those in humans and represent a welfare problem in the dog world population. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomic profile of peripheral blood in German Shepherd dogs with OA in order to identify diagnosis biomarkers. The bulk RNA-seq experiment was performed in a cohort of 12 adult dogs, 5 affected and 7 unaffected. Radiographs of the affected dogs revealed severe osteoarthritis in hip and elbow joints. The expression analysis showed 171 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 113 were upregulated and 58 were downregulated compared to control dogs P (