Departments of Veterinary Microbiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan.
Feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) was shown to induce apoptosis to feline lymphoid cells and to reduce the expression of interleukin-2 receptor alpha on the cells. FPLV-induced apoptosis might be a key element in the pathophysiology of atrophy of lymphoid tissues associated with feline panleukopenia caused by FPLV.