Association between feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) plasma viral RNA load, concentration of acute phase proteins and disease severity.
Veterinarians have few tools to predict the rate of disease progression in FIV-infected cats. In contrast, in HIV infection, plasma viral RNA load and acute phase protein concentrations are commonly used as predictors of disease progression. This study evaluated these predictors in cats naturally infected with FIV. In older cats (>5 years), log10 FIV RNA load was higher in the terminal stages of disease compared to the asymptomatic stage. There was a significant association between log10 FIV RNA load and both log10 serum amyloid A concentration and age in unwell FIV-infected cats. This study suggests that viral RNA load and serum amyloid A warrant further investigation as predictors of disease status and prognosis in FIV-infected cats.
School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia; Agri-Science Queensland, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, The University of Queensland, Ritchie Building No. 64A, Research Road, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
Rebecca K C
RK
Kann
School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia.
Jennifer M
JM
Seddon
School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia.
Myat T
MT
Kyaw-Tanner
School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia.
Joerg
J
Henning
School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia. Electronic address: j.meers@uq.edu.au.
Joanne
J
Meers
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D002415:Cats; D018450:Disease Progression; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000821:virology*; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D010949:Plasma / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D019562:Viral Load / Q000662:veterinary*
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral
Acute phase protein; FIV; Feline immunodeficiency virus; Real-time PCR; Viral load