The use of quantitative PCR to detect Felis catus papillomavirus type 2 DNA from a high proportion of queens and their kittens

Squamous cell carcinomas are common feline skin cancers that have been associated with infection with Felis catus papillomavirus type 2 (FcaPV-2). Currently, little is known about the epidemiology of FcaPV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to develop a real-time PCR assay to quantify FcaPV-2 DNA in plucked hairs and skin swabs from 11 healthy breeding queens and their kittens. Samples were taken prior to kittening and then 2, 7 and 28 days after kittening to determine the age at which the kittens were first exposed to the virus. FcaPV-2 DNA was amplified from all of the queens and from 91% of the kittens at 2 days of age. There was a wide range in the quantity of FcaPV-2 DNA detected, from 1 to 92,520 copies per swab, and from 0.01 to 234 copies per copy of reference gene DNA in the hair plucks. The quantity of FcaPV-2 DNA detected in samples collected from the kittens was strongly correlated to that of their respective queens and the mean viral DNA load was similar for cats within a household but varied significantly between households. This is the first time that quantitative PCR has been used to detect FcaPV-2 DNA and the results suggest that the virus is ubiquitous but there is a wide variation of viral DNA loads. Kittens appear to be exposed to FcaPV-2 early in life, presumably from direct contact with their queen. These results are important when determining if FcaPV-2 infection of cats is preventable.     

Iron Status of Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background

Iron deficiency is a proposed mechanism for the anemia that occurs in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Minimal research investigating the iron status of these cats has been performed.

Objective

To compare indicators of iron status in cats with CKD versus healthy cats and cats with nonrenal illness (NRI). To compare indicators of iron status in anemic versus nonanemic cats with CKD.

Animals

Thiry‐nine client or employee owned healthy cats, 40 cats with CKD and 34 cats with NRI included.

Methods

Exclusion criteria included prior iron or erythropoiesis stimulating agent administration, blood transfusion, or concurrent CKD and NRI. Complete blood counts, serum chemistries, serum iron concentrations, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and ferritin concentrations were measured and percent transferrin saturation (TSAT) calculated on all cats. Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistical testing.

Results

No statistically significant differences were detected among groups for iron concentration (P = .50), ferritin concentration (P = .47), or TSAT (P = .19). TIBC was significantly lower in CKD (median 262 μg/dL; IQR 233–302; range 165–488) versus healthy cats (median 316 μg/dL; IQR 272–345, range 196–464); (P = .0030). When comparing anemic (hemoglobin <9.5 g/dL) versus nonanemic cats with CKD, TSAT was significantly lower (P = .033) in anemic (median 20.2%; IQR 17.8–34.5; range 17.6–35.9) compared to nonanemic (median 29.0%; IQR 25.5–44.1; range 11.5–94.4). No statistically significant differences found for ferritin concentration (P = .94), iron concentration (P = .21) or TIBC (P = .97).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

These results indicate that an iron deficient state exists in anemic cats with CKD and is more likely functional rather than absolute.     

Retrospective study of 60 cases of feline lymphosarcoma

Objective To characterise epidemiological and clinical findings, and diagnostic procedures undertaken, in cats with lymphosarcoma at a veterinary teaching hospital.
Design Retrospective case study.
Procedure Hospital records were reviewed for 7159 cats, sick or healthy, examined during a 10-year period (1984 to 1994). Sixty cats with lymphosarcoma were identified and classified by anatomical location of the tumour. Data on breed, age, sex, clinical signs and diagnostic procedures were collated.
Results The prevalence of feline lymphosarcoma in the hospital population was 0.84%. Siamese cats appeared predisposed to lymphosarcoma but other purebreds were not. Males were somewhat overrepresented amongst affected cats. Similar numbers of cases (12 to 18) were seen in each of the four anatomic categories (multicentric, mediastinal, alimentary and extranodal). Cats with mediastinal lymphosarcoma were mostly young and Siamese. Clinical signs in affected cats were varied, usually multiple and often nonspecific. Two of 22 cases tested positive for feline leukaemia virus antigen in blood and 6 of 13 were positive for feline immunodeficiency virus antibody.
Conclusions Extranodal lymphosarcoma seemed more prevalent in this study than reported elsewhere. Siamese cats in the study population may have had a genetic predisposition to lymphosarcoma. Limited evidence suggested feline leukaemia virus may be less important, and feline immunodeficiency virus more important, in the local population than indicated in overseas reports. Additional studies are needed to investigate breed predisposition and feline leukaemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus status in Australian cats with lymphosarcoma.     

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.