title: IL-6 activity in feline infectious peritonitis.
abstract: Involvement of IL-6 in the development of vasculitis and polyclonal gammopathy in feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) was investigated, by using the proliferative responses of two IL-6-dependent murine hybridoma cell clones, B3B1 and MH60.BSF-2 cells. A significant IL-6 activity was found in sera and ascitic fluids of cats with FIP, whereas no IL-6 activity was detected in sera from healthy cats. In these FIP cats, IL-6 activity in ascitic fluids was significantly higher than that in sera. Peritoneal exudate cells from FIP cats were also found to release a high level of IL-6 to the culture supernatant. The ascitic IL-6 activity was eluted into the fractions corresponding to the m.w. of 30,000 to 40,000 in gel filtration, and into the fractions at the salt concentration from 0.2 to 0.3 M NaCl in anion exchange chromatography. The level of ascitic IL-6 activity was inversely correlated to serum albumin/globulin ratio in these FIP cats. These findings indicate that IL-6 accumulated in the ascites might leaked into the systemic circulation, and be linked to systemic alterations such as enhanced synthesis of Ig and acute phase proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goitsuka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasukawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koishibara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohsugi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001201:Ascites / Q000503:physiopathology; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002415:Cats; D003333:Coronaviridae Infections / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D012712:Serum Globulins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D012709:Serum Albumin; D012712:Serum Globulins