{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T05:04:22Z","timestamp":1784091862856,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776384000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776384000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"name":"Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine"},{"name":"Mary Kay Fowler"},{"name":"Washington State University Intramural Grants Program"},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100001906","name":"washington research foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100001906","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]},"abstract":"\n Objectives<\/jats:title>\n \n A protein called apoptosis inhibitor of macrophages (AIM) helps clear waste from the kidney tubules. Some domestic cats harbor a duplication of exon 3 in the\n AIM<\/jats:italic>\n gene, producing a four-domain AIM protein that includes an additional scavenger receptor cysteine-rich subunit. This variant has been associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease. Pilot studies suggest that homozygosity for this genetic alteration is present in approximately 20% of the cat population. The objective of the current study was to determine the prevalence of the wild-type, heterozygous and homozygous variant\n AIM<\/jats:italic>\n exon 3 genotypes in a large population of domestic cats.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n Genomic DNA from 1000 client-owned cats archived in the Program in Individualized Medicine DNA Bank at Washington State University was analyzed by droplet digital PCR to determine\n AIM<\/jats:italic>\n exon 3 copy number variation. Samples represented cats of any age, sex, neuter status or clinical condition. Genotype frequencies were summarized with 95% Wilson confidence intervals (CIs) and genotype frequencies were tested for deviation from Hardy\u2013Weinberg equilibrium using \u03c7\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n analysis.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Of the 1000 cats, 340 (34.0%, 95% CI 31.1\u201336.9) were homozygous wild-type (CNV2), 467 (46.7%, 95% CI 43.6\u201350.0) were heterozygous (CNV3) and 193 (19.3%, 95% CI 17.0\u201321.9) were homozygous for the variant (CNV4). Genotype frequencies deviate from Hardy\u2013Weinberg equilibrium (\u03c7\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n \u2009=\u20094.49, degrees of freedom\u2009=\u20091;\n P<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u20090.034).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions and relevance<\/jats:title>\n \n Approximately 1\/5 cats were homozygous for the\n AIM<\/jats:italic>\n exon 3 duplication, and nearly half harbored one copy of the variant allele. This genetic alteration is not restricted to a single breed or type. Given the potential role of this variant in feline kidney disease, the results of this study justify further investigations using genetically confirmed and geographically diverse populations to better define global allele distributions and potential breed predispositions.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/1098612x261445138","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T09:26:32Z","timestamp":1776417992000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevalence of the\n AIM<\/i>\n exon 3 duplication variant, a putative biomarker associated with progression of kidney disease, in 1000 cats"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"28","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4191-0820","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicolas F","family":"Villarino","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Program in Individualized Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julianne K","family":"Hwang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katrina L","family":"Mealey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Program in Individualized Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nm.4012"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/srep35251"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jvim.70136"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01621459.1927.10502953"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/(SICI)1097-0258(19980430)17:8<857::AID-SIM777>3.0.CO;2-E"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1214\/ss\/1009213286"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/429864"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2532296"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.28.706.49"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tvjl.2026.106545"}],"container-title":["Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1098612X261445138","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/1098612X261445138","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1098612X261445138","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T04:08:57Z","timestamp":1784088537000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1098612X261445138"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]]},"references-count":10,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/1098612X261445138"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1098612x261445138","relation":{},"ISSN":["1098-612X","1532-2750"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1098-612X","type":"print"},{"value":"1532-2750","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]]},"article-number":"1098612X261445138"}}