Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) describes a group of risk factors, including obesity and insulin dysregulation (hyperinsulinemia and/or insulin resistance), that can lead to the development of the debilitating hoof disease laminitis. Although the underlying mechanisms of EMS are not fully understood, a genetic component has been reported, and an 11 guanine polymorphism located at the FAM174A gene has been identified as a risk locus for the syndrome in Arabian horses. To examine associations between the FAM174A risk allele and the clinical signs of EMS, the allele was examined in an Australian cohort of ponies (n = 20) with known metabolic status. The 11 guanine polymorphism was identified in only 3 of 13 ponies with EMS, and no significant association could be made between the risk loci and morphometric measurements associated with obesity (BCS [P = 0.21], cresty neck score [P = 0.58], basal triglyceride concentration [P = 0.85], and adiponectin concentration [P = 0.48]), or insulin dysregulation (insulin dysregulation status [P = 0.35] and serum insulin concentration during an oral glucose test [P = 0.44]). These results suggest that the FAM174A 11 guanine homopolymer allele is unlikely to be a singular key gene polymorphism associated with EMS in ponies. However, due to the small number of ponies identified with the polymorphism, further study of the FAM174A risk allele in a larger cohort of horses and ponies of uniform breed would be useful.

马代谢综合症（EMS）描述了一组风险因素，包括肥胖和胰岛素失调（高胰岛素血症和/或胰岛素抵抗），它们可能导致衰弱性蹄病性椎板炎的发展。尽管尚未完全了解EMS的潜在机制，但已报道了遗传成分，并且已确定位于FAM174A基因上的11个鸟嘌呤多态性是阿拉伯马综合症的危险源。检查FAM174A之间的关联风险等位基因和EMS的临床体征，在澳大利亚小马队列（n = 20）中，研究了具有已知代谢状态的等位基因。在EMS的13个小马中，只有3个中识别出11个鸟嘌呤多态性，并且与肥胖相关的风险位点与形态计量学测量之间无显着相关性（BCS [ P = 0.21]，颈脖子评分[ P = 0.58]，基础甘油三酸酯浓度[ P = 0.85]和脂联素浓度[ P = 0.48]）或胰岛素失调（口服葡萄糖测试期间胰岛素失调状态[ P = 0.35]和血清胰岛素浓度[ P = 0.44]）。这些结果表明，FAM174A11鸟嘌呤均聚物等位基因不太可能是与小马EMS相关的单一关键基因多态性。但是，由于鉴定出的多态性小马数量很少，因此在较大数量的马匹和同一品种的小马中进一步研究FAM174A风险等位基因将是有用的。