title: Comparison of T-cell subpopulations in cats naturally infected with feline leukaemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: T-cell subsets were studied by flow cytometry in 58 feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)-positive cats with naturally acquired FeLV infection to determine whether the changes in CD4+ or CD8+ T cell populations differed from those observed in 55 feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-positive cats with naturally acquired FIV infection. The sole criterion for inclusion into the study was seropositivity. Mean (SD) CD4+ T cell values of FeLV positive cats were decreased to 31.1 (8.0) per cent and their CD8+ T cell values were increased to 22.8 (6.3) per cent in comparison with uninfected control cats (37.9 [9.5] per cent CD4+; 15.2 [6.3] per cent CD8+). The CD4+/CD8+ ratio was reduced to 1.5 (0.7), compared with 3.0 (1.5) in 39 FeLV-and FIV-negative control cats. Differences from control values were significant, but there was no significant difference between CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes of FeLV-versus FIV-infected cats. These findings indicate that FeLV and FIV have similar effects on T lymphocyte subsets. Both retrovirus infections can induce immunodeficiency, both viruses infect a broad range of lymphohaemopoietic cells, despite having different primary target cells, and can induce the killing of lymphocytic cells in vitro. It is concluded that a decreased CD4+/CD8+ ratio is not restricted to FIV infections but may also occur in FeLV infection.
authors.affiliation: GSF-Institut für Immunologie, München, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoffmann-Fezer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mortelbauer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mysliwietz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thefeld
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thum
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kraft
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002415:Cats; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline; D016582:Leukemia, Feline / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D010052:Ovariectomy; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal