title: Monitoring acute phase proteins in retrovirus infected cats undergoing feline interferon-ω therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recombinant feline interferon-ω therapy is an immunomodulator currently used in the treatment of different retroviral diseases including feline immune deficiency virus and feline leukaemia virus. Although its mechanism of action remains unclear, this drug appears to potentiate the innate response. Acute phase proteins are one of the key components of innate immunity and studies describing their use as a monitoring tool for the immune system in animals undergoing interferon-ω therapy are lacking. This study aimed to determine whether interferon-ω therapy influences acute phase protein concentrations namely serum amyloid-A, α-1-glycoprotein and C-reactive protein.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-arm study was performed using 16 cats, living in an animal shelter, naturally infected with retroviruses and subjected to the interferon-ω therapy licensed protocol. Samples were collected before (D0), during (D10 and D30) and after therapy (D65). Serum amyloid-A and C-reactive protein were measured by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits and α-1-glycoprotein by single radial immunodiffusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the acute phase proteins significantly increased in cats undergoing interferon-ω therapy (D0/D65: P<0·05) CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Acute phase proteins appear to be reasonable predictors of innate-immune stimulation and may be useful in the individual monitoring of naturally retroviral infected cats undergoing interferon-ω therapy.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Technical University of Lisbon (TULisbon), Av. Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sepúlveda
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McGahie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: M M R E
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Niza
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavares
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D002415:Cats; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline; D016582:Leukemia, Feline / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000032:analysis*; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D009961:Orosomucoid; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; C063743:interferon omega 1; D002097:C-Reactive Protein