Abstract
Feline sporotrichosis due to Sporothrix brasiliensis is frequently severe and often correlated to zoonotic transmission. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) cause immunodeficiency in cats; no association has been identified with critical cases of sporotrichosis. Moreover, the cytokine profile in Sporothrix-infected cats and a potential impact of retrovirus co-infections on their immunity is unknown. This study assessed immunological parameters in cats with sporotrichosis with and without FIV or FeLV co-infection. FeLV infection was detected by antigen ELISA and by provirus PCR. FIV infection was investigated through ELISA and Western blot. Cytokine transcription (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α) was quantified using RT-qPCR and lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4, CD8, CD5 and CD21) were assessed by flow cytometry. Thirty cats with sporotrichosis were recruited to the study, including three FIV-positive and five FeLV-positive (progressive infection) cats. One cat with regressive FeLV infection was excluded from statistics. In comparison to retrovirus-negative cats, FIV-positive cats and FeLV-positive cats had higher IL-10 levels, FeLV-positive cats had lower IL-4 levels and FIV-positive cats had lower IL-12 levels and a lower CD4+/CD8+ ratio. Remarkably, all cats with poor general condition were FeLV (progressive infection) or FIV-positive, but the retrovirus status was not associated with the sporotrichosis treatment length or outcome. The immunological changes and the more severe clinical presentation observed in cats with retrovirus co-infections encourage future prospective studies that address the impact of these changes on prognostic determinants of feline sporotrichosis and the development of new therapy strategies that control disease spread.
Highlights
Sporotrichosis is a mycosis affecting humans and animals globally, caused by different members of the Sporothrix schenckii species complex, including S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii sensu stricto (s. str.), S. globosa, and S. luriei [1]
The aim of this study was to assess whether the co-infection with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) or Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is related to changes in immunological parameters among cats with sporotrichosis
Previous studies have not established a correlation between severe sporotrichosis and feline retrovirus co-infections [10,12,24] likely explained by the use of clinical and therapeutic aspects in case definitions
Summary
Sporotrichosis is a mycosis affecting humans and animals globally, caused by different members of the Sporothrix schenckii species complex, including S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii sensu stricto (s. str.), S. globosa, and S. luriei [1]. Sporotrichosis is a mycosis affecting humans and animals globally, caused by different members of the Sporothrix schenckii species complex, including S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii sensu stricto Str.), S. globosa, and S. luriei [1]. Immune response to retrovirus/Sporothrix co-infection in cats. This study is part of a collaborative project Switzerland-Brazil (Fundacão Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - FAPERJ/ Swiss National Science Foundation - SNSF/ Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientıfico e Tecnologico - CNPq no 400064/2017-0) and was partially funded by FAPERJ [JCNE E-26/203.303/ 2016] and by Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation [PAEF-IOC-008-FIO-15]. RCM and SAO are recipients of productivity fellowships from the CNPq
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