Mangiaterra Sara, Gavazza Alessandra, Biagini Lucia, Rossi Giacomo
School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy.
Pathogens. 2024 May 22;13(6):437. doi: 10.3390/pathogens13060437.
Coronavirus frequently infects humans and animals, showing the ability to recombine and cross over to different species. Cats can be considered a model for studying coronavirus infection, in which feline coronavirus (FCoV) represents a major enteric pathogen related to gastroenteric disease. In this animal, the virus can acquire tropism for macrophage cells, leading to a deadly disease called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). In this study, monocyte-derived macrophages were isolated by CD14-positive selection in venous whole blood from 26 cats with FIP and 32 FCoV-positive healthy cats. Phagocytosis and respiratory burst activities were investigated and compared between the groups. This is the first study comparing macrophage activity in cats affected by FIP and healthy cats positive for FCoV infection. Our results showed that in cats with FIP, the phagocytic and respiratory burst activities were significantly lower. Our results support the possible role of host immunity in Coronaviridae pathogenesis in cats, supporting future research on the immune defense against this systemic disease.
冠状病毒经常感染人类和动物,显示出重组和跨物种传播的能力。猫可被视为研究冠状病毒感染的模型,其中猫冠状病毒(FCoV)是一种与胃肠疾病相关的主要肠道病原体。在这种动物中,该病毒可获得对巨噬细胞的嗜性,导致一种致命疾病,称为猫传染性腹膜炎(FIP)。在本研究中,通过对26只患有FIP的猫和32只FCoV阳性健康猫的静脉全血进行CD14阳性选择,分离出单核细胞衍生的巨噬细胞。对两组之间的吞噬作用和呼吸爆发活性进行了研究和比较。这是第一项比较受FIP影响的猫和FCoV感染阳性健康猫的巨噬细胞活性的研究。我们的结果表明,患有FIP的猫的吞噬和呼吸爆发活性明显较低。我们的结果支持宿主免疫在猫冠状病毒科发病机制中的可能作用,为未来针对这种全身性疾病的免疫防御研究提供了支持。