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Development of virus non-producer lymphosarcomas in pet cats exposed to FeLV

Nature volume 288, pages 90–92 (1980)Cite this article

Abstract

Naturally occurring oncoviruses of several species1–6 are transmitted contagiously and cause lymphosarcoma (LSA) or leukaemia in their hosts7. All naturally occurring oncoviruses replicate in vivo in the tumours they induce or, as with bovine leukaemia virus, can be isolated from tumour cells grown in short-term cell culture7,8. However, we have shown that feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) is not present in a significant minority of pet cats that develop LSA9–11. Unlike experimentally induced virus-negative leukaemias and sarcomas of other species, LSA cells from FeLV-negative LSA cats lack any FeLV proteins, including p15 or p12, and complete functional copies of FeLV provirus and thus do not produce FeLV when grown in cell culture4,9–19. Thus, except for FeLV, the naturally occurring animal leukaemogenic oncoviruses seem to induce only virus-producing lymphoid tumours. Our earlier findings prompted a study to determine the frequency of occurrence of FeLV non-producer (NP) LSA in pet cats and wheher NP LSAs develop in cats exposed to FeLV. We report here epidemiological data which indicate that development of NP LSAs in pet cats is associated with exposure to FeLV and suggest that FeLV may be the aetiological agent for FeLV NP feline LSAs. Thus, feline NP LSAs may be suitable for studying the potential viral aetiology and mechanism of leukaemogenesis of human lymphoid tumours in which no oncoviruses have, as yet, been proved to cause the disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratories of Veterinary and Viral Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, 10021

    W. D. Hardy Jr, A. J. McClelland, E. E. Zuckerman & H. W. Snyder Jr

  2. Donaldson Atwood Cancer Clinic, Animal Medical Center, New York, New York, 10021

    E. G. MacEwen

  3. Department of Microbiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115

    D. Francis & M. Essex

Authors
  1. W. D. Hardy Jr
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  2. A. J. McClelland
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  3. E. E. Zuckerman
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  4. H. W. Snyder Jr
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  5. E. G. MacEwen
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  6. D. Francis
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  7. M. Essex
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Hardy, W., McClelland, A., Zuckerman, E. et al. Development of virus non-producer lymphosarcomas in pet cats exposed to FeLV. Nature 288, 90–92 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/288090a0

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