Hemostatic disorders in feline immunodeficiency virus-seropositive cats

The hemostatic function of 40 feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) seropositive and 8 FIV and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) seropositive cats was evaluated and compared with reference values from 30 clinically healthy cats. The FIV-positive cats were divided into 3 groups: group I included asymptomatic carriers; group II comprised sick FIV-infected cats with illnesses not likely to influence the hemostatic system; and group III included FIV-positive cats with diseases potentially associated with coagulopathies. Platelet counts in FIV/FeLV-infected cats were significantly lower than in healthy cats (P < .003), whereas the differences in the 3 groups of FIV-positive cats were variable (group I, P = .009; II, P = .05; III, P = .09). Thrombocytopenia (< 145,000 platelets/microL) was present in 4 FIV-positive and 3 FIV/FeLV-positive cats. Platelet aggregation induced by collagen (0.5 and 0.25 micrograms/mL), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) (1 and 0.6 mumol/L), and thrombin (0.4 and 0.25 IU/mL) was not significantly different from that of healthy cats. The plasma coagulation system was evaluated by measuring one-stage prothrombin time (OSPT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time, fibrinogen concentration, coagulation factor assays, fibrinogen and fibrin degradation products (FDP), and plasma exchange test. The OSPT was similar in FIV-seropositive cats and in the healthy control group. Cats with FIV infection, however, had markedly shorter clotting times than healthy cats when using a modified test system (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)