Summary auto-generated
This study examined antibody responses against feline coronavirus (FCoV) structural proteins in naturally infected cats to understand factors associated with virus clearance versus chronic infection. Researchers analyzed 90 isolated cats grouped by outcome: 42 cats that cleared infection (Group I), 48 with chronic asymptomatic infection (Group II), and 43 with feline infectious peritonitis disease (Group III). Using Western blotting, they measured antibodies against three major viral proteins: S glycoprotein, M glycoprotein, and N protein. Cats that cleared infection developed anti-S glycoprotein antibody responses at least 30-fold higher relative to anti-M responses compared to chronically infected or sick cats. The ratio of anti-S to anti-M antibodies effectively distinguished virus-clearing cats (ratio 1.6) from infected cats (ratio 0.03-0.05). These findings suggest that a robust anti-S glycoprotein antibody response is associated with successful viral clearance and does not predispose cats to disease, contradicting previous vaccine studies showing antibody-dependent enhancement with S protein vaccines.
Key findings
- Cats that naturally cleared feline coronavirus infection developed anti-S glycoprotein antibody responses approximately 30-fold higher than the anti-M response, compared to chronically infected or sick cats
- The anti-S to anti-M antibody ratio effectively distinguished virus-clearing cats (ratio 1.6) from chronically infected or diseased cats (ratio 0.03-0.05)
- Natural anti-S glycoprotein antibody responses are associated with virus clearance and are not risk factors for developing feline infectious peritonitis, contrary to findings from experimental vaccine studies
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Abstract
We have investigated by Western blotting the antibody responses against the three major structural proteins in cats naturally infected with feline coronaviruses that cleared virus infection (group I), established chronic asymptomatic infection (group II) or were sick (group III). The cats of group I developed an anti-S glycoprotein response that was, relative to the anti-M glycoprotein response, at least 30-fold higher than that of chronically infected cats from groups II and III. These results suggest that the anti-S glycoprotein response against antigenic domains revealed by Western blot is associated with clearance of the virus after natural infection, and is not a risk factor for the establishment of a chronic infection.