Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline leukemia virus found in cat corneas by PCR and IHC
By Herring, I P et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2001·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Feline leukemia virus detection in corneal tissues of cats by polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that some cats with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) had the virus present in their corneas. Out of 17 cats that tested positive for FeLV, 11 showed the virus in their corneal tissues through specific tests. This suggests that FeLV can affect the eyes of infected cats. The findings highlight the importance of screening cats for FeLV before using their corneas for transplants or other medical procedures.
People also search for: cat eye problems FeLV · feline leukemia virus symptoms · corneal issues in FeLV-positive cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To determine the presence of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in the corneas of FeLV-infected cats. ANIMALS STUDIED: Thirty-four random source cats. PROCEDURES: Seventeen cats were found positive for FeLV serum p27 antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Twelve ELISA positive cats were also positive on peripheral blood samples by immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) testing. Seventeen ELISA negative cats served as negative controls. Full thickness corneal specimens were collected from the left cornea of all cats and analyzed for FeLV proviral DNA and gp70 antigen by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemical (IHC) testing, respectively. RESULTS: Eleven (64.7%) positive corneal PCR results were obtained from 17 ELISA positive cats. Of 12 cats that were both ELISA and IFA positive on peripheral blood, 10 (83.3%) had positive corneal PCR results. All corneal tissues from ELISA negative cats were PCR negative. IHC staining of corneal sections revealed the presence of FeLV gp70 in corneal tissues of nine (52.9%) ELISA positive cats. Of the 12 cats that were both ELISA and IFA positive on peripheral blood, eight (66.7%) had positive corneal IHC results. Positive IHC staining was localized to the corneal epithelium. Corneal tissues of all ELISA negative cats and all IFA negative cats were negative on IHC testing. CONCLUSIONS: FeLV antigens and proviral DNA are present in corneal tissues of some FeLV-infected cats. Screening corneal donors for FeLV infection is warranted.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11422993/