Prevalences of feline leukaemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus infections in cats in Sydney

Objective To determine prevalences of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infections in ‘healthy’ cats that, through acute misadventure or other circumstance, were presented to veterinary practitioners. Prevalences of FeLV and FIV in this population were compared to those in a population of predominantly sick cats. Design and procedures Serum specimens were obtained over a 2-year period from 200 cats oldeer than 1 year of age presented to veterinary clinics for routine procedures, including cat fight injuries or abscesses, vehicular trauma, neutering, dental scaling, vaccination, grooming or boarding. An additional 894 sera were obtained over approximately the same period from specimens submitted by veterinarians to a private clinical pathology laboratory, mainly from sick cats suspected of having immune dysfunction, but including some sera from healthy cats being screened prior to FeLV vaccination. FIV antibody and FeLV antigen were detected in samples using commercial enzyme immunoassays. Results Amongst 200 ‘healthy’ cats, the prevalence of FeLV infection was 0 to 2%, and the prevalence of FIV was 6.5 to 7.5%, depending on the stringency of the criteria used to define positivity. FIV infection was significantly more prevalent in cats which resided in an inner city environment (P = 0.013). Of the 894 serum specimens submitted to the laboratory by practitioners, 11/761 (1.4%) were FeLV positive, while 148/711 (20.8%) were FIV positive. The prevalence of FIV was significantly higher in these predominantly ‘sick’ cats than in cats seen for routine veterinary procedures (P < 0.00001), while there was no difference in the prevalence of FeLV (P = 0.75) Conclusions The prevalence of FeLV and FIV in healthy cats may have been substantially overestimated in some previous Australian surveys. FeLV infection would appear to be a rare cause of disease in Australian cats. The higher prevalence of FIV positivity in sick as opposed to healthy cats infers that FIV infection contributes to the development of disease.     

BILOBED GALLBLADDER IN A CAT: ULTRASONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE

A five-month-old male domestic shorthair cat presented with a history of vomiting for 4 days. An ultrasound examination of the abdomen was performed as part of the diagnostic workup. The gallbladder appeared to be bilobate. The cat died the following day from renal failure. At necropsy, a bilobed gallbladder was confirmed and considered to be a congenital anomaly unrelated to the cat's death.     

番鸭细小病毒和鹅细小病毒生化及基因组特性的比较

番鸭细小病毒莆田株（MPV-P）和鹅细小病毒莆田株（GPV-P）分别感染的番鸭胚尿囊液经氯仿处理、PEG沉淀和Sepharose4B柱纯化。纯化样品在电镜下观察，均见到实心和空心2种病毒粒子。病毒粒子呈圆形，立体对称，无囊膜，直径为20-24nm。经SDS-PAGE分析，MPV和GPV均呈现3条结构蛋白带。MPV结构蛋白的相对分子质量约为VP1 89000、VP2 78000和VP3 61000，其中VP3为主要结构蛋白。GPV要相对分子质量与MPV有微小差别。MPV和GPV核酸均为单链DNA，长度约为51000bp。分别以MPV核酸和GPV核酸为模板，加到无引物的DNA聚合酶Ⅰ大片段合成体系中，合成产物经1%琼脂糖凝胶电泳，均可见长度约为5600bp的双链DNA带，证明MPV和GPV核酸的3'末端具有发夹结构。对这2种病毒核酸及经Klenow合成的双链核酸进行限制性内切酶分析，两者的酶切结果明显不同，表明MPV和GPV核酸在一级结构上存在明显差异。以上结果证明，MPV和GPV不但在致病性上有显著养异，而且在核酸结构上也有明显差异。     

猫泛白细胞减少症病毒的分离与鉴定

应用猫肾传代细胞(FK),采用同步接毒的方法,从8份狮、虎、豹病料中分得6株病毒,经与标准病毒作交叉免疫电镜等系统鉴定,证明与猫泛白细胞减少症病毒的特性基本相符,从而首次证实在我国动物园狮、虎、豹等猫科动物中存在猫泛白细胞减少症。     

Ocular metastasis of a vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma in a cat

A 6‐year‐old, neutered male domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for a recurrent vaccine‐associated fibrosarcoma. The cat had three excisions of the tumour prior to presentation and was referred for radiation therapy. Ten months following treatment with radiation therapy, the cat was presented again for a cloudy appearance to the eye. An exenteration was performed, and biopsy revealed fibrosarcoma. At the same time, two discrete pulmonary nodules were identified on thoracic radiographs. Two doses of doxorubicin (20 mg/m²) and cyclophosphamide (100 mg/m²) were administered intravenously 3 weeks apart. Despite treatment, the pulmonary nodule doubled in size. This case represents the first antemortem report of ocular metastasis of a vaccine‐associated sarcoma and supports the highly aggressive nature of these tumours.     

应用核酸斑点杂交法检测鹅细小病毒(GPV)

利用鹅细小病毒 (GPV)核酸探针 ,设计并建立了核酸斑点杂交法 ,用以检测 GPV核酸。该方法特异性与敏感性均较好 ,其敏感度可达 3pg。应用该方法对 4例病变典型的小鹅瘟患鹅组织器官进行检测 ,结果表明 ,患鹅脏器中 ,小肠、心、肝、胰、脾组织含毒量较高 ,其中小肠组织含毒量最高 ,而脑组织中含毒量较低。应用琼脂扩散试验验证了核酸斑点杂交法的检测结果。     

CRANIAL MEDIASTINAL CYSTS IN NINE CATS

Nine cats, from 11 to 17 years of age (mean 13.6 years of age), were diagnosed with a cranial mediastinal cyst. Thoracic radiographs in all cats were characterized by an increased soft tissue opacity in the cranial mediastinum confirmed to be a cyst by ultrasonography or necropsy. Ultrasonographically cysts appeared as an anechoic mass. A low-cellularity clear fluid was obtained on aspiration. The majority of the cats (n = 8) presented for unrelated conditions with no signs of respiratory distress. No treatment for the cyst was pursued except for drainage during ultrasonographic-guided aspiration in several cats. On follow-up of eight cats, none were symptomatic for the cyst from 3-45 months after diagnosis. Mediastinal cyst should be considered when a cranial mediastinal mass is evident radiographically in an older cat. The majority of feline cranial mediastinal cysts are benign with no need for treatment.     

Immunopathology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dirofilaria immitis</Emphasis> Infection

Heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis affects canine and feline hosts, with infections occasionally being reported in humans. Studies have shown that both dirofilarial antigens and those derived from its bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia, interact with the host organism during canine, feline and human infections and participate in the development of the pathology and in the regulation of the host’s immune response. Both innate and acquired immune responses are observed and the development of the acquired response may depend on the host and, or on its parasitological status. This review aims at illustrating current research on the role of both D. immitis and Wolbachia, in the immunology and immunopathology of dirofilariosis.     

水貂阿留申病毒VP2基因主要抗原表位区的原核表达

根据GenBank中已发表的水貂阿留申病毒(ADV)VP2基因核苷酸序列分别设计合成两对引物,用PCR方法扩增ADV国内分离株VP2基因中主要抗原表位区的两个片段,分别将其克隆到原核表达载体pMAL-c2的多克隆位点中。经酶切、PCR扩增和测序分析证实其已正确插入到表达载体中,且阅读框是正确的,构建原核表达载体pMAL-VPa和pMAL-VPb。阳性重组质粒转化宿主菌TB1,用IPTG进行诱导表达,对表达产物进行SDS-PAGE检测和免疫印迹分析。结果表明两段蛋白均获得了表达,表达产物的分子质量分别约为63、65kD,与理论推测的分子质量一致;并在终浓度为1mmol/L的IPTG诱导下,4h时其表达量达到高峰;Western blot分析表明表达蛋白能被兔抗MBP抗体所识别,具有一定的抗原性。     

犬细小病毒病的PCR临床诊断研究

建立犬细小病毒聚合酶链式反应(PCR)检测方法,并应用于临床诊断.根据犬细小病毒基因保守序列设计一对特异性引物,扩增目的片段大小为448bp.用此引物扩增疫苗中的犬细小病毒和37份病料中的犬细小病毒,并与胶体金诊断试剂盒相对比.实验结果显示:该方法能从疫苗中和临床病料中扩增出犬细小病毒目的基因片段,与胶体金诊断试剂盒相比能克服免疫血清学诊断中的非特异性反应,具有快速、准确、灵敏度高的优点,完全适用于犬细小病毒病的临床诊断.