title: Loss of naïve (CD45RA+) CD4+ lymphocytes during pediatric infection with feline immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection of cats is an animal model for the pathogenesis of CD4+ lymphopenia and thymus dysfunction in HIV-infected humans. Recently, a monoclonal antibody (755) was reported to recognize the feline homologue to CD45RA, allowing the enumeration of naïve T cells in cats. We tested the hypothesis that pediatric FIV infection would be associated with a selective loss of naïve CD4+ lymphocytes by inoculating newborn cats with a pathogenic clone of FIV (JSY3) or a related clone with an inactive ORF-A gene (JSY3-DeltaORFA), and compared the data to age-matched uninfected control cats. Both FIV inocula were associated with a reduction in the CD4-CD8 ratio (p=0.01), which was attributable to a disproportionate loss of naïve CD4+ cells (p=0.01) vs. naïve CD8+ cells. Therefore, the reduced CD4:CD8 ratio in FIV-infected juvenile cats is associated with a selective depletion of naïve CD4+ cells from the blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, United States.
authors.forename: Abigail D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Carreño
authors.forename: Ayalew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mergia
authors.forename: Janelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: Nazareth
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gengozian
authors.forename: Calvin M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio / Q000662:veterinary; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002415:Cats; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000276:immunology*; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens