ABSTRACT
Dogs exhibit a range of immune-mediated conditions including a lymphocytic thyroiditis which has many similarities to Hashimoto's thyroiditis in man. We have recently reported an association in Doberman Pinschers between canine hypothyroidism and a rare DLA class II haplotype that contains the DLA-DQA1*00101 allele. We now report a further series of 173 hypothyroid dogs in a range of breeds where a significant association with DLA-DQA1*00101 is shown.
Subject(s)
Alleles , Dog Diseases/genetics , Dog Diseases/immunology , Genes, MHC Class II , Histocompatibility Antigens Class II/genetics , Hypothyroidism/veterinary , Animals , Dogs , Histocompatibility Antigens Class II/immunology , Hypothyroidism/genetics , Hypothyroidism/immunologyABSTRACT
A Diabetes Care Management program was developed by PrimeCare, a network model HMO, to improve quality of life health outcomes and reduce the costs of medical care for its members with diabetes. The HMO used a systems-based approach to communicate information about appropriate self-management and standards of care to members and physicians. The focus of the program was to educate and encourage patients to self-manage their illness, and to partner with physicians, other health care providers and community organizations to achieve improved quality of life, clinical and financial results. Clinical process indicators were used to measure results of interventions. Significant increases in the percentage of participants receiving glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) tests, retinal eye exams and lipid panel tests were achieved.