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Immune-endocrine interactions in treated and untreated cats naturally infected with FIV
Nélida V Gómez1, Víctor A Castillo, María Amelia Gisbert
1Cat. Clínica Médica de Pequeños Animales, Hospital Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. ngomez@fvet.uba.ar
Insights
Zidovudine treatment in FIV-infected cats helped normalize adrenal and thyroid function by reducing viral load. This antiviral therapy also modulated key cytokine levels, improving immune system balance in affected felines.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Immunology
- Virology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus causing progressive immune dysfunction in cats.
- FIV impacts neuroendocrine-immune system communication, affecting pituitary-adrenal and thyroid axes.
- Cytokines like TNF, IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12 play a role in this bidirectional communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of Zidovudine (ZDV) treatment on neuroendocrine and immune parameters in FIV-infected cats.
- To assess ZDV's impact on viral load (VL) and cytokine profiles (IL-10, IL-12) in FIV-positive cats.
- To determine if ZDV treatment can normalize adrenal and thyroid axis function in FIV-infected cats.
Main Methods:
- A six-month cross-sectional study involving 20 FIV-infected cats.
- Ten cats received Zidovudine (5mg/kg/d, PO, q12h); 10 served as untreated controls.
- Plasma concentrations of ACTH, cortisol, T4, FT4, T3, IL-10, IL-12, and viral load were measured.
Main Results:
- ZDV-treated cats showed significantly lower ACTH levels (p<0.0001) and higher T4/FT4 levels (p<0.001) compared to untreated cats.
- Both IL-10 and IL-12 were significantly higher in ZDV-treated cats (p<0.001), leading to a lower IL-10/IL-12 ratio in untreated cats.
- ZDV treatment significantly reduced viral load (p<0.002), while untreated cats showed a significant increase (p<0.04).
Conclusions:
- Zidovudine treatment appears to normalize adrenal and thyroid axes in FIV-infected cats.
- The observed normalization is likely linked to ZDV's ability to decrease viral load.
- Antiviral therapy with ZDV may restore neuroendocrine-immune balance by altering cytokine patterns.
Abstract:
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus that causes a progressive disruption of immune function in cats. The neuroendocrine and immune systems communicate bidirectionally, mediated by cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF), several interleukins (IL-1, IL-6, IL-10), and through signals induced by the ratio of IL-10 to IL-12. FIV can affect both pituitary adrenal and thyroid axis function. Twenty FIV-infected cats in similar stages of the disease were evaluated for six months. A cross-sectional study in which the twenty cats were divided into two groups was performed. Ten were treated with Zidovudine (ZDV: 5mg/kg/d, PO, q12h, for six months) and 10 were untreated. Plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, T4, FT4, T3, IL-10, IL-12 and viral load (VL) were evaluated after six months. ACTH was found in significantly lower concentrations (p<0.0001) in the treated group whereas cortisol did not show significant differences between the two groups. Both T4 and FT4 had high values in untreated individuals (p<0.001) compared with Zidovudine treated cats. T3 did not show significant differences between the two groups. Both IL-10 and IL-12 were found in significantly higher concentrations in ZDV treated cats (p<0.001). By contrast, the IL10/IL-12 ratio values were significantly lower in untreated cats. Viral load was significantly lower in the treated cats after six months of therapy, compared with values detected pre-treatment (p<0.002). Untreated cats showed a significant increase of VL (p<0.04) compared with the values at the beginning of the study. In treated cats, VL showed lower numbers of viral copies than in untreated cats (p<0.01). In summary, Zidovudine treatment appeared to contribute to the normalization of both the adrenal and thyroid axes. This effect could be attributed to the decrease observed in VL, resulting in a change in cytokine patterns.
