Interaction of acute feline herpesvirus-1 and chronic feline immunodeficiency virus infections in experimentally infected specific pathogen free cats.
Cats with or without chronic feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection were exposed to feline herpesvirus, type 1 (FHV-1). FIV infected cats became sicker than non-FIV infected cats and required more supportive treatment. However, there were no differences in the length of their illness or in the levels and duration of FHV-1 shedding. FHV-1 infection caused a transient neutrophilia at Day 7 with a rapid return to preinfection levels. The neutrophilia coincided with a transient lymphopenia that was accompanied by a decline in both CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes. A brief decrease in the CD4+/CD8+ T-lymphocyte ratio occurred at Day 14 in both FIV infected and non-infected cats. This decrease was mainly the result of an absolute and transient increase in CD8+ T-lymphocytes. CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte numbers and CD4+/CD8+ T-lymphocyte ratios returned to baseline within 4-8 weeks in both FIV infected and non-infected cats. FIV infected cats produced less FHV-1 neutralizing antibodies during the first 3 weeks of infection than non-FIV infected animals. The IgM FHV-1 antibody response was depressed in FIV infected cats whereas the IgG antibody response was unaffected. FHV-1 infection evoked a comparable transient loss of lymphocyte blastogenic responses to concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen in both FIV infected and non-infected cats. However, response to pokeweed mitogen took longer to return to normal in FIV infected animals. Lymphocytes from FIV infected cats had a greater and more sustained proliferative response to FHV-1 antigen than non-FIV infected cats. The ongoing IgG antibody response to FIV was not affected by FHV-1 infection.
Department of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
G H
GH
Reubel
J W
JW
George
J E
JE
Barlough
J
J
Higgins
C K
CK
Grant
N C
NC
Pedersen
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002415:Cats; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008231:Lymphopenia; D008297:Male; D009503:Neutropenia; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D017201:Virus Shedding
D000914:Antibodies, Viral