FELINE BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION - ITS USE IN FIV-INFECTED CATS

The use of autologous and allogenic bone marrow transplantations (BMT) in FIV-infected and uninfected cats is a novel therapy for feline hem atopoietic diseases and retroviral infections. A total of 13 specific pathogen-free (SPF) cats received either autologous or allogenic BMT a nd seven of these cats were also infected with FIV before autologous o r allogenic BMT All BMT recipients received total body irradiation of 900 coy just before BMT. Two FIV-infected and four uninfected cats rec eived autologous uninfected BM cells cryopreserved, before BMT. Five i nfected and two uninfected cats received BM cells from allogenic uninf ected donors (RBC-, MHC-, and cross-matched). MHC-matching was based o n mixed leucocyte reaction (MLR) and the donor-recipient combination w hich was compatible by MLR analysis, was used in this study. Recipient s were monitored for hematology, immunology, virology; and clinical si gns. All FIV-infected and uninfected recipients of autologous BMT had complete engraftment with minimal complications. Uninfected recipients of allogenic BMT had a more severe clinical episode with slower rate of engraftment. None of these BMT groups had mortality. In contrast, o nly two of the five infected recipients of allogenic BMT survived for a significant period of time (23 and 50 weeks) and rest of the cats su ccumbed to transfusion reactions. Both infected BMT groups had persist ent CD4/CD8 inversion, low CD4(+) cell counts, and FIV infection of en grafted peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Overall, successful autologous and allogenic BMTs were performed. in FIV-free cats. All i nfected recipients of autologous BMT had compete engraftment and are c urrently alive, with the longest survival time being over 1 year Thus, BMT in combination with antiviral drug therapies may be an alternativ e therapy against retroviral infection. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.