Relationship between feline leukemia virus antigen expression and viral infectivity in blood, bone marrow, and saliva of cats.
Correlation was greater than 90% between feline leukemia virus (FeLV), group-specific antigen (GSA) in leukocytes, and viral infectivity (VI) in serum or plasma from 132 cats infected with either the Rickard strain of FeLV, the Snyder-Theilen strain of feline sarcoma virus, or field strains of FeLV. Detection of GSA in blood cells was at least as sensitive as detection of VI in serum. In 45% of FeLV GSA-positive cats inoculated with FeLV-Rickard strain, VI was detected in saliva. No saliva samples from GSA-negative cats had VI. Sequential bone marrow biopsies from 34 cats inoculated with Snyder-Theilen feline sarcoma virus indicated that the correlation between FeLV GSA in bone marrow cells and blood cells was virtually 100%. FeLV GSA appeared in bone marrow leukocyte precursors 1 week before its appearance in peripheral blood leukocytes in 50% of the cats. The FeLV GSA-positive state was transient (3 to 6 weeks) in 34% of the Snyder-Theilen feline sarcoma virus-inoculated cats.
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D002415:Cats; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral