Biomaterial Database

[Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and FeLV-associated diseases in cats: a review]. 1987

K Weijer, and F UytdeHaag, and A D Osterhaus

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) usually occurs in its natural species, the domestic cat. FeLV is also important to human individuals as a comparative model, as FeLV may cause a variety of diseases which are partly malignant and partly benign, such as immunosuppression which bears a resemblance to AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in man. Although FeLV is a common infective agent, the incidence of disease due to FeLV is much higher in cats kept in closed households in which several of them are present than it is in free-range cats. Consequently, diseases caused by FeLV are frequently diagnosed in pedigree cats which are often maintained in relatively large numbers. FeLV is transmitted among cats by contagion. The main sources of infection are persistantly infected FeLV carrier cats which continuously excrete virus from the mouth and in other secretions. The majority of cats infected with FeLV will produce neutralising antibodies. Cats which are unable to do so, will become permanently infected. The prognosis is bad in these cats: 90 per cent will die within five years. Various techniques are used to detect FeLV. The most common method, the indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) test, is performed on air-dried blood smears. The results of the IFA agree with that are almost completely identical to those of the virus isolation test. Another test is ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), which produces approximately 10 per cent more positive results which are probably due to circulating FeLV antigens. Dissemination of FeLV among cats may be prevented by identifying infected carrier cats and removing them from contact with non-infected cats. Removal programmes using indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) tests were used successfully in the Netherlands. The proportion of FeLV-positive cats decreased from 9 per cent in 1974 to approximately 3 per cent in 1985 during such a removal programme. During the above period, the removal programme was carried out in the society of Dutch cat breeders 'Felikat', the programme being made compulsory on all members of the society. The incidence of cats positive for FeLV decreased from over 11 per cent in 1974 to less than 2 per cent within four years. None of the cats tested in this society was found to be positive for FeLV in 1984 and 1985. Besides removal programmes, other methods of control, such as vaccination, were developed to prevent the spread of FeLV. The FeLV-immunostimulating complex vaccine (FeLV-ISCOM vaccine) a subunit vaccine in which FeLV-gp70 is presented in a particular manner, seems to be promising.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007938	Leukemia	A progressive, malignant disease of the blood-forming organs, characterized by distorted proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow. Leukemias were originally termed acute or chronic based on life expectancy but now are classified according to cellular maturity. Acute leukemias consist of predominately immature cells; chronic leukemias are composed of more mature cells. (From The Merck Manual, 2006)	Leucocythaemia,Leucocythemia,Leucocythaemias,Leucocythemias,Leukemias
D002353	Carrier State	The condition of harboring an infective organism without manifesting symptoms of infection. The organism must be readily transmissible to another susceptible host.	Asymptomatic Carrier State,Asymptomatic Infection Carrier,Inapparent Infection Carrier,Presymptomatic Carrier State,Presymptomatic Infection Carrier,Super-spreader Carrier,Superspreader Carrier,Asymptomatic Carrier States,Asymptomatic Infection Carriers,Carrier State, Asymptomatic,Carrier State, Presymptomatic,Carrier States,Carrier, Super-spreader,Carrier, Superspreader,Carriers, Super-spreader,Carriers, Superspreader,Inapparent Infection Carriers,Infection Carrier, Asymptomatic,Infection Carrier, Inapparent,Infection Carrier, Presymptomatic,Presymptomatic Carrier States,Presymptomatic Infection Carriers,Super spreader Carrier,Super-spreader Carriers,Superspreader Carriers
D002371	Cat Diseases	Diseases of the domestic cat (Felis catus or F. domesticus). This term does not include diseases of the so-called big cats such as CHEETAHS; LIONS; tigers, cougars, panthers, leopards, and other Felidae for which the heading CARNIVORA is used.	Feline Diseases,Cat Disease,Disease, Cat,Disease, Feline,Diseases, Cat,Diseases, Feline,Feline Disease
D002415	Cats	The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801)	Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D004797	Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay	An immunoassay utilizing an antibody labeled with an enzyme marker such as horseradish peroxidase. While either the enzyme or the antibody is bound to an immunosorbent substrate, they both retain their biologic activity; the change in enzyme activity as a result of the enzyme-antibody-antigen reaction is proportional to the concentration of the antigen and can be measured spectrophotometrically or with the naked eye. Many variations of the method have been developed.	ELISA,Assay, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent,Assays, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent,Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay,Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays,Immunosorbent Assay, Enzyme-Linked,Immunosorbent Assays, Enzyme-Linked
D005256	Leukemia Virus, Feline	A species of GAMMARETROVIRUS causing leukemia, lymphosarcoma, immune deficiency, or other degenerative diseases in cats. Several cellular oncogenes confer on FeLV the ability to induce sarcomas (see also SARCOMA VIRUSES, FELINE).	Cat Leukemia Virus,FeLV,Feline Lymphoma Virus,Feline Leukemia Virus,Cat Leukemia Viruses,Feline Leukemia Viruses,Feline Lymphoma Viruses,Leukemia Virus, Cat,Leukemia Viruses, Cat,Leukemia Viruses, Feline,Lymphoma Virus, Feline,Lymphoma Viruses, Feline
D005455	Fluorescent Antibody Technique	Test for tissue antigen using either a direct method, by conjugation of antibody with fluorescent dye (FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE, DIRECT) or an indirect method, by formation of antigen-antibody complex which is then labeled with fluorescein-conjugated anti-immunoglobulin antibody (FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE, INDIRECT). The tissue is then examined by fluorescence microscopy.	Antinuclear Antibody Test, Fluorescent,Coon's Technique,Fluorescent Antinuclear Antibody Test,Fluorescent Protein Tracing,Immunofluorescence Technique,Coon's Technic,Fluorescent Antibody Technic,Immunofluorescence,Immunofluorescence Technic,Antibody Technic, Fluorescent,Antibody Technics, Fluorescent,Antibody Technique, Fluorescent,Antibody Techniques, Fluorescent,Coon Technic,Coon Technique,Coons Technic,Coons Technique,Fluorescent Antibody Technics,Fluorescent Antibody Techniques,Fluorescent Protein Tracings,Immunofluorescence Technics,Immunofluorescence Techniques,Protein Tracing, Fluorescent,Protein Tracings, Fluorescent,Technic, Coon's,Technic, Fluorescent Antibody,Technic, Immunofluorescence,Technics, Fluorescent Antibody,Technics, Immunofluorescence,Technique, Coon's,Technique, Fluorescent Antibody,Technique, Immunofluorescence,Techniques, Fluorescent Antibody,Techniques, Immunofluorescence,Tracing, Fluorescent Protein,Tracings, Fluorescent Protein
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000914	Antibodies, Viral	Immunoglobulins produced in response to VIRAL ANTIGENS.	Viral Antibodies