Characterization of feline glomerulonephritis associated with viral-induced hematopoietic neoplasms

Light, electron, and immunofluorescence microscopy on tissues from 63 domestic cats revealed that glomerulonephritis occurred in almost one third of cats with hematopoietic neoplasms of the type linked with feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Glomerular lesions were of the immune complex type with subepithelial, subendothelial, and mesangial dense deposits and reticular aggregates, similar to the nephropathy associated with systemic lupus erythematosus in humans. Evidence that the glomerular lesions may be viral-induced raises the possibility of similar pathogenetic mechanisms in human disease.