Investigation of the effects of Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) infection on calcium metabolism in cats

ABSTRACT

The aims of the study were to determine the effects of feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection on blood Ca levels and Ca metabolism regulatory parameters in cats. In the study, twenty cats with clinical symthoms of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and positive to FCoV were used. They were negative to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leucoma virus (FeLV). These cats were divided into two groups equally as dry (n=10) and wet form (n=10) of FIP. Ten cats clinically healthy and negative for all test were also used as control group. Serum samples were collected from all the cats and they were used to analyse parathyroid hormone (PTH), parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), calcitonin and vitamin D3 (Vit D3), using feline specific ELISA test kits. Furthermore, Calcium (Ca), magnesium, (Mg) and phosphorus (P) levels were also measured in these serum samples. In the sudy, PTH (p < 0.01), PTHrP (p < 0.001) and P (p < 0.01) levels were significantly higher in cats with FIP than those of control group. Additionally, calcitonin, vitamin D3 and Ca levels were found to be high in cats with FIP compared to those of control cats, but there were no statistically significance between these groups.