Influence of inactivated feline retrovirus on feline alpha interferon and immunoglobulin production.

The effect of ultraviolet-inactivated feline leukaemia virus (UV-FeLV) on the development of feline immunoglobulin-secreting cells (ISC) was investigated using a reverse haemolytic plaque assay. Low concentrations of UV-FeLV at 2 X 10(-4) to 2.0 micrograms/ml stimulated the production of ISC. By contrast, the same concentration of UV-FeLV suppressed the development of pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-driven ISC. Maximum suppression of ISC occurred at 50 micrograms/ml of UV-FeLV. The generation of an interferon resistant to acid, heat and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in the media of lymphocyte cultures incubated with PWM was also significantly suppressed in the presence of 0.2 microgram/ml of UV-FeLV. These findings suggest that non-infectious viral particles appear to modify feline immunoglobulin and interferon-secreting systems.