Quantitative studies of erythropoiesis in the clinically normal, phlebotomized, and feline leukemia virus-infected cat

Erythropoiesis was evaluated in 5 cats at base line with normal PCV and then in the same cats with anemia induced by phlebotomy and in 5 other cats with nonregenerative anemia from community-acquired feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection. The hematologic evaluation included complete blood cell and reticulocyte counts, marrow morphologic features, determination of serum erythropoietin concentrations by radioimmunoassay, ferrokinetic studies, and in vitro marrow culture of early erythroid progenitors (erythroid burst-forming units; BFU-E) and late erythroid progenitors (erythroid colony-forming units; CFU-E). Phlebotomized cats developed marrow erythroid hyperplasia and an increased reticulocyte count. Ferrokinetic studies revealed an increase in plasma iron turnover from 1.4 to 3.8 mg of Fe/dl of blood/day and RBC use from 50.4% to 78.5%. The mean CFU-E number and CFU-E/BFU-E ratio increased after phlebotomy, but the increase was not significant (P greater than 0.05). Serum erythropoietin values did increase significantly. In FeLV-infected cats, a nonregenerative anemia was demonstrated by marrow erythroid hypoplasia and a low total reticulocyte count. An increased percentage of rubriblasts and prorubricytes was observed in 4 of the 5 cats. Although serum erythropoietin values were high (321 +/- 123 mU/ml vs normal 14 +/- 1 mU/ml), ferrokinetic data revealed decreased erythropoiesis. Marrow culture studies in the FeLV-infected cats also revealed low numbers of BFU-E and CFU-E, but normal numbers of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors remained. Seemingly, the FeLV infection impaired the ability of feline marrow to respond physiologically to anemia.