Lentivirus infection activates CD4(+) CD25(+) T regulatory (Treg) cells. Activation of Treg cells may be due to direct virus infection or chronic antigenic stimulation. Herein we demonstrate that in vitro feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection, but not UV-inactivated virus, activates Treg cells as measured by immunosuppressive function and upregulation of GARP, FoxP3, and membrane-bound ...

Negative FIV-antibody test results remain reliable (see the 2001 Report of the AAFP/AFM Advisory Panel on Feline Retrovirus Testing and Management at www.aafponline.org/resources/guidelines/Felv_FIV_Guidelines.pdf. But until tests that differentiate vaccinated cats from infected cats become readily available, it will be impossible to assess the significance of positive test results. (Is a posit...

The alkaline extracts from pine seed shells (Pinus koraiensis) suppressed the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced cytopathicity using HIV (HTLV-III) infected MT-4 cells in vitro, and showed extremely low cytotoxicity. The active substances were acid polysaccharides containing uronic acids. No animal died and no harmful effect was observed at a concentration of 1.05 g per kg body weight. ...

Objectives Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), a gamma retrovirus, causes diseases of the feline haematopoietic system that are invariably fatal. Rapid and accurate testing at the point-of-need (PON) supports prevention of virus spread and management of clinical disease. This study evaluated the performance of an insulated isothermal PCR (iiPCR) that detects proviral DNA, and a reverse transcription...

A high percentage of free-ranging pumas (Felis concolor) are infected with feline lentiviruses (puma lentivirus, feline immunodeficiency virus Pco [FIV-Pco], referred to here as PLV) without evidence of disease. PLV establishes productive infection in domestic cats following parenteral exposure but, in contrast to domestic cat FIV, it does not cause T-cell dysregulation. Here we report that cat...

Infectivity of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in feline and human lymphoblastoid cell lines was examined using homogeneous populations of FIV derived from infectious molecular clones of strains TMZ and Petaluma, and two recombinant chimeric clones carrying gag, pol, vif and ORF-A from the heterologous virus. FIV from the clones with the env region of the Petaluma strain was shown to infect...

Oral disorders of small animals constitute a problem for veterinarians. Chronic oral infections are commonly seen in domestic cats. The objectives of this study were to characterise feline oral lesions, common feline dental problems, and especially the association of oral disease and systemic disease in cats. Two hundred and twenty cats referred over a period of 33 months to the Internal Medici...