Abstract
Beatty JA, Lawrence CE, et al (1998) Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-associated lymphoma: a potential role for immune dysfunction in tumourigenesis. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology
To determine the potential role of immune dysfunction in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-associated lymphomagenesis, we present the results of immunological monitoring during the chronic phase of experimental FIV infection in two cats which subsequently developed lymphoma.
Two cats in the chronic stage of experimentally-induced FIV infection subsequently developed lymphoma. In one of these, cell-mediated immunity was depressed throughout the monitoring period and especially from weeks 125–200 post-infection. During this time there was profoundly impaired lymphocyte blastogenesis and markedly increased interleukin-1 (IL-1) production compared to uninfected control cats. In the second cat, lymphocyte function was less affected. In both cats, there were alterations in IgM, IgA and IgG concentrations, and in CD4, CD8 and CD21-lymphocyte sub-sets. Using Southern blot analysis integrated FIV-provirus was found in tumour DNA from the second, but not the first cat, indicating a possible direct role for the virus in this cat. This study demonstrated a potential indirect mechanism of tumourigenesis (immune dysfunction) in at least one of the two cats studied.