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Addison's disease in canines refers to hypoadrenocorticism, or Addison's disease, when it occurs in canines. The first case of Addison's disease in dogs was recorded in 1953, over 100 years after it was described in humans by Thomas Addison.〔Little C, Marshall C, Downs J. Addison's disease in the dog. Vet Rec 1989;124:469–470.〕 ==Description== Addison's disease, whether in dogs or humans, is an endocrine system disorder that occurs when the adrenal glands fail to produce enough hormones for normal function. The adrenal glands – located above the kidneys – secrete glucocorticoids such as cortisol 〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Adrenal Steroids )〕 and mineralocorticoids such as aldosterone;〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Mineralocorticoids )〕 when proper amounts of these are not produced, the metabolic and electrolyte balance is upset. Mineralocorticoids control the amount of potassium, salt and water in the body.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Addison's Disease (Hypoadrenocorticism) in Dogs )〕〔 (PDF )〕 The disease is also known as hypoadrenocorticism, adrenal insufficiency, or hypocortisolism, and is fatal if left untreated.〔 (PDF)〕 All causes for Addison's disease are not yet known. The usual causes are genetic, often related to autoimmune disorders, where the body attacks and kill its own tissue ("immune mediated destruction").〔 Other cases are caused by various disease processes,〔〔〔 including atypical Addison's -the failure of the pituitary gland to secrete ACTH, the hormone which stimulates the adrenal production of cortisol.〔 The only preventable kind of Addisonian crisis is iatrogenic hypoadrenocorticism which is caused during abrupt cessation of a steroid medication.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Overview of Adrenal Histology )〕 During steroid treatment, the adrenal glands do not function fully. The body senses the levels of the exogenous steroids in the system and therefore does not signal for additional production.〔 The usual protocol for stopping steroid medications is not to eliminate them suddenly, but to withdraw from them gradually in a "tapering off" process, which allows the production to adjust to normal. If steroids are abruptly withdrawn, the dormant adrenal glands may not able to reactivate, and the body will need to have its adrenal glucocorticoid hormones replaced by medication.〔 Addison's disease occurs much more frequently in dogs than in humans; in fact, it may occur one hundred times more often in the canine population. It mostly affects young to middle-aged female dogs,〔 as the average age at diagnosis being four years old (although it has been found in puppies and dogs up to twelve years old). About seventy percent of dogs that are diagnosed with Addison's disease are female.〔〔 Addison's disease is still relatively uncommon or underdiagnosed in dogs. Statistics gathered from a large veterinary hospital placed the number at 0.36 dogs per 1000. For an average veterinary practice with two veterinarians and 1500 canine patients, this would mean an average of one diagnosis of the disease each year.〔〔(PDF)〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Addison's disease in canines」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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