Biomaterial Database

Current thoughts on feline immunodeficiency virus infection. 1993

E E Sparger

Department of Medicine, University of California, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis.

The feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a novel feline retrovirus of the lentivirus subfamily that is known to induce immunodeficiency disorders in experimentally and naturally infected cats. Recent studies have characterized the stages of infection and specific immune deficits associated with FIV infection. Host cell populations harboring the virus have been better elucidated. Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of the genomes of several isolates of FIV indicate sequence variation in the env gene of FIV, as has been found with other lentiviruses. Sequence of the genome has allowed the development of molecular reagents, including FIV DNA probes, polymerase chain reaction primers, and recombinant viral proteins, which have been and will be useful for FIV diagnostics and for pathogenesis studies. Investigations characterizing FIV as an animal model for human AIDS has yielded significant information concerning FIV infection in naturally infected cats and also may yield FIV vaccines and antiviral therapeutics useful for the pet cat population.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
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
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
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
D016089	Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline	A species of LENTIVIRUS, subgenus feline lentiviruses (LENTIVIRUSES, FELINE) isolated from cats with a chronic wasting syndrome, presumed to be immune deficiency. There are 3 strains: Petaluma (FIP-P), Oma (FIP-O) and Puma lentivirus (PLV). There is no antigenic relationship between FIV and HIV, nor does FIV grow in human T-cells.	FIV,FTLV,Feline Immunodeficiency Virus,Feline T-Lymphotropic Lentivirus,Lentivirus, Puma,Puma lentivirus,Feline T-Lymphotropic Virus,Feline Immunodeficiency Viruses,Feline T Lymphotropic Lentivirus,Feline T Lymphotropic Virus,Lentivirus, Feline T-Lymphotropic,T-Lymphotropic Lentivirus, Feline,T-Lymphotropic Virus, Feline
D016181	Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome	Acquired defect of cellular immunity that occurs in cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and in some cats infected with feline leukemia virus (FeLV).	AIDS, Feline,FAIDS,Feline AIDS,Feline Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,Feline Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome,Feline Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome