title: Detection of salivary antibodies in cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: The saliva of cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus was examined for total immunoglobulin content and antiviral antibodies. Seropositive cats showed an increase in salivary immunoglobulin G levels, which was only partly attributable to the enhanced prevalence of oral inflammatory lesions, compared with the levels in seronegative cats. Immunoglobulin G, but not immunoglobulin M, levels in serum were also increased. Salivary antibodies were determined by indirect immunofluorescence and Western blot (immunoblot) analysis. All but 1 of the 16 seropositive cats examined were positive, while all 16 control cats were negative. The presence of oral lesions was not a prerequisite for antibody detection in saliva. It was concluded that salivary antibody might be usefully exploited for diagnostic and epidemiologic purposes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Pathology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giannelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pistello
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zaccaro
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pieracci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bendinelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malvaldi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002415:Cats; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000276:immunology*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M