Therapeutic effects of recombinant feline interferon-omega on feline leukemia virus (FeLV)-infected and FeLV/feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-coinfected symptomatic cats.
The clinical efficacy of a recombinant feline interferon, rFeIFN-omega, was evaluated for the treatment of cats presented with clinical signs associated with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection and FeLV/feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) coinfection in the field. In this multicentric, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 81 cats meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly placed into 2 groups and treated subcutaneously with rFelFN-omega (1 million [M]U/kg per day) or placebo once daily for 5 consecutive days in 3 series (day 0, 14, 60). The cats were monitored for up to 1 year for clinical signs and mortality. During the initial 4-month period, interferon (IFN)-treated cats (n = 39) had significantly reduced clinical scores compared with placebo (n = 42), with all cats having received concomitant supportive therapies. Compared with the control, the IFN-treated group showed significantly lower rates of mortality: 39% versus 59% (1.7-fold higher risk of death for controls) at the 9-month time point and 47% versus 59% (1.4-fold higher risk of death for controls) at the 12-month time point. The IFN treatment was associated with minor but consistent improvement in abnormal hematologic parameters (red blood cell count, packed cell volume, and white blood cell count), apparently underlying the positive effects of IFN on clinical parameters. These data demonstrate that rFeIFN-omega initially has statistically significant therapeutic effects on clinical signs and later on survival of cats with clinical signs associated with FeLV infection and FeLV/FIV coinfection.
de Mari
Karine
K
R&D Department, Virbac SA, Carros Cedex, France.
Maynard
Laurence
L
Sanquer
Annaelle
A
Lebreux
Bernard
B
Eun
Hyone-Myong
HM
D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D002415:Cats; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016582:Leukemia, Feline / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007370:Interferon Type I; C063743:interferon omega 1