title: Feline immunodeficiency virus clade C mucosal transmission and disease courses.
abstract: The transmissibility and pathogenicity of a clade C feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV-C) was examined via the oral-nasal, vaginal, or rectal mucosa. FIV-C was transmissible by all three mucosal routes. Vaginal transmission was most efficient (100%), oral exposure resulted in a 80% infection rate, and rectal transmission was least effective (44%). In contrast to previous intravenous passage studies, a broader range of host-virus relationships was observed after mucosal exposure. Three categories of FIV-C infection were defined: (1) rapidly progressive infection marked by high virus burdens and rapid CD4+ cell depletion (43% of vaginally exposed animals); (2) conventional (typical) infection featuring slowly progressive CD4+ cell decline (61% of all exposed animals); and (3) regressive (transient) infection marked by low and then barely detectable virus burdens and no CD4+ cell alterations (22% of rectally inoculated cats). These disease courses appear to have parallels in mucosal HIV and SIV infections, emphasizing the importance of the virus-mucosa interface in lentiviral pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, USA.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Obert
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Hoover
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002415:Cats; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000821:virology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000821:virology*; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000821:virology; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012007:Rectum / Q000821:virology; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral