Regan, A.D., R.D. Cohen, and G.R. Whittaker, Activation of p38 MAPK by feline infectious peritonitis virus regulates pro-inflammatory cytokine production in primary blood-derived feline mononuclear cells. Virology, 2009. 384(1): p. 135-43.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease of cats associated with feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection, a common enteric virus of cats. How this virus leads to the lethal disease is not clear, as most infected cats do not develop disease. Cytokines are proteins secreted from cells, including cells of the immune system, that are important in mediating an effective immune response. Cats with FIP have abnormal cytokine production that may contribute to the disease FIP. In this study, the investigators examined the effects of the FIP virus on certain white blood cells collected from cats, in a laboratory environment. These cells are the target of the FCoV in cases of FIP. The investigators showed that an important cellular pathway responsible for inducing inflammation is activated by the virus, and is a key contributor to the disease observed in cats with FIP. The raises the possibility that inhibitors of this pathway may be beneficial in the treatment of FIP. [MK]
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Related articles:
Takano, T., et al., Neutrophil survival factors (TNF-alpha, GM-CSF, and G-CSF) produced by macrophages in cats infected with feline infectious peritonitis virus contribute to the pathogenesis of granulomatous lesions. Arch Virol, 2009.
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Giordano, A. and S. Paltrinieri, Interferon-gamma in the serum and effusions of cats with feline coronavirus infection. Vet J, 2009. 180(3): p. 396-8.
>> PubMed Abstract
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