Fontes AC, Vieira MC, Oliveira M, Lourenço L, Viegas C, Faísca P, Seixas F, Requicha JF, Pires MA. Feline calicivirus and natural killer cells: A study of its relationship in chronic gingivostomatitis.
Vet World 2023;
16:1708-1713. [PMID:
37766702 PMCID:
PMC10521170 DOI:
10.14202/vetworld.2023.1708-1713]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims
Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a frequent chronic inflammatory condition in the oral cavity with an etiopathogenesis not completely identified. This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of FCGS by identifying the presence of feline calicivirus (FCV) antigens and natural killer (NK) cells and comparing them.
Materials and Methods
Forty biopsies from the oral mucosa of cats diagnosed with chronic gingivostomatitis were subjected to immunohistochemical techniques to evaluate cells with FCV antigens and NK cells positive for CD56.
Results
NK cells were identified in all samples, with an average of 725.3 ± 409.1 cells. Regarding FCV, it was identified in 18 out of 30 samples (60%), with a different number of cells with virus in between the analyzed cases. In all cases, the number of cells infected with FCV was lower than the number of NK cells present in the same samples, but there was no statistical association between them.
Conclusion
This preliminary study shows that NK cells are present in gingivostomatitis lesions not exclusively caused by FCV-stimulus, as only 60% of all cases were positive for this virus, but other antigens should be considered in the etiology of FCGS.
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