title: Vaccination against the feline leukaemia virus: outcome and response categories and long-term follow-up.
abstract: Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) is a pathogen inducing fatal disease in cats worldwide. By applying sensitive molecular assays, efficacious commonly used FeLV vaccines that protect cats from antigenaemia were found not to prevent proviral integration and minimal viral replication after challenge. Nonetheless, vaccines protected cats from FeLV-associated disease and prolonged life expectancy. The spectrum of host response categories was refined by investigating plasma viral RNA loads. All cats initially fought similar virus loads, although subsequently loads were associated with infection outcomes. Persistence of plasma viral RNA was moderately associated with reactivation of FeLV infection. In conclusion, sensitive molecular assays are important tools for reviewing pathogenesis of FeLV infection.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland. rhofmann@vetclinics.unizh.ch
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hofmann-Lehmann
authors.forename: Valentino
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cattori
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.forename: Felicitas S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Boretti
authors.forename: Marina L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riond
authors.forename: Andrea C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pepin
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Willi
authors.forename: Pete
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ossent
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lutz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002415:Cats; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000276:immunology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D019562:Viral Load; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D014765:Viral Vaccines; C045569:feline leukemia virus vaccine