Renal alterations in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected cats : a natural model of lentivirus-induced renal disease changes

Poli, Alessandro (author), Tozon, Nataša (author), Guidi, Grazia (author), Pistello, Mauro (author)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with several renal syndromes including acute and chronic renal failures, but the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are unclear. HIV and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) share numerous biological and pathological features, including renal alterations. We investigated and compared the morphological changes of renal tissue of 51 experimentally and 21 naturally infected cats. Compared to the latter, the experimentally infected cats exhibited some mesangial widening and glomerulonephritis, milder proteinuria, and lower tubular and interstitial alterations. The numbers of giant protein tubular casts and tubular microcysts were also lower. In contrast, diffuse interstitial infiltrates and glomerular and interstitial amyloidosis were detected only in naturally infected cats. Similar alterations are found in HIV infected patients, thus supporting the idea of a causative role of FIV infection in renal disease, and underlining the relevance of the FIV and its natural host as an animal model for investigating lentivirus-associated nephropathy.

• Language: English
• Keywords: cat, feline immunodeficiency virus, FIV, kidney diseases, renal pathology
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2012
• Number of pages: Str. 1372-1389
• Numbering: Vol. 4, iss. 9
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-129513
• UDC: 616
• ISSN on article: 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v4091372
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3576954
• Publication date in RUL: 03.09.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Viruses
• Shortened title: Viruses
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1999-4915
• COBISS.SI-ID: 517597977

Licences

• License: CC BY 3.0, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
• Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
• Description: You are free to reproduce and redistribute the material in any medium or format. You are free to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
• Licensing start date: 01.09.2012

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Ministero della Salute-Istituto Superiore di Sanità, IV° Programma Nazionale di Ricerca sull’AIDS
• Name: Progetto Nazionale AIDS-Italian Concerted for AIDS Vaccination