Evaluation of polymorphisms in inflammatory mediator and cellular adhesion genes as risk factors for feline...

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a high mortality infectious disease. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding interferon gamma (IFNG), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) and dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN; CD209) have been associated with increased and decreased risk of developing FIP. This study was designed to determine whether these associations were present in a UK population of pedigree cats using samples from cats euthanased with a confirmed diagnosis (FIP, n = 22; non-FIP, n = 10) or clinically healthy cats over 11 years of age (n = 3).

DNA was extracted from tissue (n = 32) or blood (n = 3) and PCR performed for regions of IFNG, TNFA and CD209. PCR amplicons were sequenced, each SNP genotype was determined, and genotype/allele frequency for each SNP and FIP status were compared.

No significant association was found between the genotype and FIP status for any SNP analysed. There was a trend for the heterozygous CT genotype at both IFNG g.401 and IFNG g.408 to be associated with FIP (P = 0.13), but this genotype was also found in a substantial proportion of non-FIP cats. There was also a trend for the heterozygous CT genotype at IFNG g.428 to be associated with FIP (P = 0.06), although most cats with FIP had the CC genotype at this locus. No associations were found between any allele at TNFA g.-421, CD209 g.1900, CD209 g.2276, CD209 g.2392 and CD209 g.2713 and FIP.

The use of the IFNG, TNFA and CD209 SNPs described to predict the risk of FIP cannot currently be recommended.