Domestic Cats Infected with Lion or Puma Lentivirus Develop Anti-Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Immune Responses

Infection of domestic cats with Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) results in a fatal immunodeficiency disease, similar to Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) in humans. Elevated plasma viral loads in domestic cats are correlated to decreased survival time and disease progression. However, FIV is also maintained as an apathogenic infection in other members of the family Felidae including cougars, Puma concolor (FIVpco). It is not known whether the lack of disease in cougars is a result of diminished virus replication. A real-time PCR assay was developed to quantify both FIVpco proviral and plasma viral loads in naturally infected cougars. Proviral loads quantified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) ranged from 2·90×101 to 6·72×104 copies per 106 cells. Plasma viral loads ranged from 2·30×103 to 2·81×106 RNA copies ml−1. These data indicate that FIVpco viral loads are comparable to viral loads observed in endemic and epidemic lentivirus infections. Thus, the lack of disease in cougars is not due to low levels of virus replication. Moreover, significant differences observed among cougar PBMC proviral loads correlated to viral lineage and cougar age (P=0·014), which suggests that separate life strategies exist within FIVpco lineages. This is the first study to demonstrate that an interaction of lentivirus lineage and host age significantly effect proviral loads.

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Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Depletes Naïve (CD45RA+) CD4+ Lymphocytes from the Blood and Lymph Nodes of Domestic Cats during Acute Pediatric Infection.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v106.11.3896.3896 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 106 (11) ◽

pp. 3896-3896

Author(s):

Calvin M. Johnson ◽

Ayalew Mergia ◽

Janelle Novak ◽

Nazareth Gengozian

Keyword(s):

T Lymphocytes ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Pediatric Hiv ◽

Lymphoid Tissues ◽

Domestic Cats ◽

Color Flow ◽

Cd8 Cells ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Cd4 Lymphocytes

Abstract Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is an immunosuppressive lentivirus of domestic cats that serves as an animal model for the pathogenesis of CD4+ lymphopenia and thymus dysfunction in HIV infected humans. During most cases of adult and pediatric HIV infection, naïve CD4+ T lymphocytes recognized by the expression of the RA isoform of the leukocyte common antigen (CD45RA) are infected at a lower level than memory CD4+ T− lymphocytes; however, children with rapidly progressive disease due to thymic insufficiency harbor high levels of HIV within the CD45RA+ subpopulation. In FIV infected cats, the fate of naïve CD4 lymphocytes is unknown due to the lack of specific markers. Recently, a mAb (755) was reported to recognize the feline homologue to CD45RA, allowing the enumeration of naïve CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes in cats. The purpose of this study was to characterize the fate of CD4+CD45RA+ blood cells eight weeks after FIV infection. One-day-old kittens (n=6) were infected with virions either from a wild type clone (JSY3) or mutant ORF-A clone at equivalent reverse transcriptase units and compared to historical control data. Eight weeks after inoculation, the percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ cells belonging to the CD45RA+ subpopulation were measured by two-color flow cytometry. Both FIV inocula were associated with a reduction in total CD4+ lymphocytes from a median of 13% in controls to 8% in infected cats (P=0.004), contributing to a reduction in the CD4:CD8 ratio from 2.45 in controls to 0.76 in infected cats (P=0.007). The decline in CD4+ lymphocytes was attributable to a disproportionate loss of CD4+CD45RA+ cells: 69% of CD4+ cells were CD45RA+ in controls, as compared to 7% in FIV infected cats (P=0.004). In contrast, naïve CD8+ lymphocytes did not change significantly with FIV infection (67% of CD8+ cells were CD45RA+ in FIV infected cats as compared to 80% in controls). The distribution of CD45RA+ cells in the lymph nodes of FIV infected cats mirrored those in the blood. Together, these data suggest that acute FIV infection results in a rapid depletion of naïve CD4 lymphocytes throughout the blood and secondary lymphoid tissues, while proportions of naïve CD8 lymphocytes remain unchanged. CD4+CD45RA+ cells may be depleted during pediatric FIV infection through lytic infection or a transition to a memory phenotype lacking CD45RA.

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Infection with feline immunodeficiency virus alters intestinal epithelial transport and mucosal immune responses to probiotics

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology ◽

10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.01.017 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 153 (1-2) ◽

pp. 146-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Laura L. Stoeker ◽

Elizabeth L. Overman ◽

Shila K. Nordone ◽

Adam J. Moeser ◽

Rita D. Simões ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Responses ◽

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Epithelial Transport ◽

Intestinal Epithelial ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Mucosal Immune Responses

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Detection of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukemia Virus in tissue samples of domestic cats with in situ hybridization

BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2018 ◽

10.22233/9781910443590.76.17 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 493-493

Author(s):

Anna Szilasi ◽

Lilla Dénes ◽

Gyula Balka

Keyword(s):

In Situ Hybridization ◽

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Leukemia Virus ◽

Feline Leukemia Virus ◽

Domestic Cats ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus

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Vaccination with a feline immunodeficiency virus multiepitopic peptide induces cell-mediated and humoral immune responses in cats, but does not confer protection.

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.71.10.7586-7592.1997 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 71 (10) ◽

pp. 7586-7592 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J N Flynn ◽

C A Cannon ◽

J C Neil ◽

O Jarrett

Keyword(s):

Immune Responses ◽

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Humoral Immune ◽

Humoral Immune Responses ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus

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Feline immunodeficiency virus subtypes in domestic cats in New Zealand

New Zealand Veterinary Journal ◽

10.1080/00480169.2007.36795 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 55 (6) ◽

pp. 358-360 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

RKC Kann ◽

JM Seddon ◽

J Meers ◽

RJG Zwijnenberg

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Domestic Cats ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus

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Molecular detection of viral agents in free-ranging and captive neotropical felids in Brazil

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation ◽

10.1177/1040638717720245 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 660-668 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mariana M. Furtado ◽

Sueli A. Taniwaki ◽

Iracema N. de Barros ◽

Paulo E. Brandão ◽

José L. Catão-Dias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Molecular Detection ◽

Puma Concolor ◽

Leukemia Virus ◽

Feline Leukemia Virus ◽

Molecular Testing ◽

Domestic Cats ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Free Ranging ◽

Feline Coronavirus

We describe molecular testing for felid alphaherpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (CPPV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV), alphacoronavirus 1 (feline coronavirus [FCoV]), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and canine distemper virus (CDV) in whole blood samples of 109 free-ranging and 68 captive neotropical felids from Brazil. Samples from 2 jaguars ( Panthera onca) and 1 oncilla ( Leopardus tigrinus) were positive for FHV-1; 2 jaguars, 1 puma ( Puma concolor), and 1 jaguarundi ( Herpairulus yagouaroundi) tested positive for CPPV-1; and 1 puma was positive for FIV. Based on comparison of 103 nucleotides of the UL24-UL25 gene, the FHV-1 sequences were 99–100% similar to the FHV-1 strain of domestic cats. Nucleotide sequences of CPPV-1 were closely related to sequences detected in other wild carnivores, comparing 294 nucleotides of the VP1 gene. The FIV nucleotide sequence detected in the free-ranging puma, based on comparison of 444 nucleotides of the pol gene, grouped with other lentiviruses described in pumas, and had 82.4% identity with a free-ranging puma from Yellowstone Park and 79.5% with a captive puma from Brazil. Our data document the circulation of FHV-1, CPPV-1, and FIV in neotropical felids in Brazil.

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