Characterization of feline glomerulonephritis associated with viral-induced hematopoietic neoplasms.

Light, electron, and immunofluorescence microscopy on tissues from 63 domestic cats revealed that glomerulonephritis occurred in almost one third of cats with hematopoietic neoplasms of the type linked with feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Glomerular lesions were of the immune complex type with subepithelial, subendothelial, and mesangial dense deposits and reticular aggregates, similar to the nephropathy associated with systemic lupus erythematosus in humans. Evidence that the glomerular lesions may be viral-induced raises the possibility of similar pathogenetic mechanisms in human disease.

Anemia associated with feline leukemia virus infection in cats.

The types of anemia associated with natural and experimental feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection in cats were investigated. In one experiment, 10 kittens were inoculated neonatally with Jarrett FeLV-1, an isolate of subgroup A; 6 developed anemia a few weeks later. This anemia was characterized by macrocytosis, normoblastosis, increased erythropoiesis in the bone marrow, and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen. Anemia was transient and nonfatal and occurred before the onset of lympoid malignancy. The same type of anemia was also seen in 9 of 24 kittens inoculated with Jarrett FeLV-9 of subgroups A and B. A different form of anemai occurred in another experiment in which 10 kittens were inoculated with FeLV-C of subgroup C only. All 10 kittens developed a profound aplastic or erythroblastopenic anemia in which the bone marrow became depleted of erythroid tissue; all kittens died within 16 weeks, most as a direct result of anemia. In an experiment in which kittens were inoculated with FeLV-B of subgroup B only, no kitten showed anemia. Cats with naturally acquired, nonleukemic lymphosarcoma were also studied. Of 33 lymphosarcomas in which myelophthisis was excluded as a cause, 54% of the affected cats had anemia, the features of which were consistent with hemolytic origin. When virus could be grown from these lymphosarcomas, it was of subgroup A alone or a combination of A and B. With one exception, anemic cats had low or negative titers to feline oncornavirus-associated cell membrane antigens. Until more isolates have been tested, it is not known if the various hematologic changes reflected differences in the pathogenic effects of the subgroups of the virus or of types of strains within them.

Study of an attenuated strain of feline infectious enteritis (panleucopaenia) virus. II. Removal of the spread factor by further passaging in tissue culture.

The propensity of an attenuated strain of feline infectious enteritis (panleucopaenia) virus to spread from vaccinated cats affected with intercurrent feline respiratory disease to unvaccinated in-contact cats was eradicated by further passaging of the vaccine virus in tissue culture. No virus was recovered from, and no antibody was found in the sentinel cats in contact with seven vaccinated animals. Thus, a further 27 passages of the vaccine virus in tissue culture has eliminated the spread factor.