An Aptamer-Based Proteomic Analysis of Plasma from Cats (Felis catus) with Clinical Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a systemic disease manifestation of feline coronavirus (FCoV) and is the most important cause of infectious disease-related deaths in domestic cats. FIP has a variable clinical manifestation but is most often characterized by widespread vasculitis with visceral involvement and/or neurological disease that is typically fatal in the absence of antiviral therapy. Using an aptamer-based proteomics assay, we analyzed the plasma protein profiles of cats who were naturally infected with FIP (n = 19) in comparison to the plasma protein profiles of cats who were clinically healthy and negative for FCoV (n = 17) and cats who were positive for the enteric form of FCoV (n = 9). We identified 442 proteins that were significantly differentiable; in total, 219 increased and 223 decreased in FIP plasma versus clinically healthy cat plasma. Pathway enrichment and associated analyses showed that differentiable proteins were related to immune system processes, including the innate immune response, cytokine signaling, and antigen presentation, as well as apoptosis and vascular integrity. The relevance of these findings is discussed in the context of previous studies. While these results have the potential to inform diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative investigations, they represent only a first step, and will require further validation.

Ruptured hepatic artery aneurysm in a domestic yak

A 19.5-y-old, male domestic yak ( Bos grunniens) with a history of sudden unexpected death was submitted for autopsy. The yak had hemoabdomen, and a large blood clot was attached to the liver and forestomachs. The hepatic artery had a saccular aneurysm with a 1-cm tear. The arterial wall at the site of the rupture was thin, and the luminal surface was roughened with yellow streaks. The arterial wall adjacent to the rupture was thickened, white, firm, and less elastic than normal arterial walls. Cause of death was concluded to be acute exsanguination. Similar cases with sudden death have been reported in domestic cattle and humans. No risk factors, such as nutritional deficiencies, genetic predisposition, or blunt trauma, were identified in this case, and there was no gross or histologic evidence of generalized vascular disease.