Terapia antirretroviral no controle do vírus da imunodeficiência felina

Abstract

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) presents molecular structure similar to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in cats, this way the antiretroviral therapy is encouraged in animals affected by recurrent infections, neuropathy and chronic gingivostomatitis. However, zidovudine is the only anti-HIV drug recommended for the treatment of FIV infected cats, being unknown the action of most of the antiretroviral drugs against the virus. In that way, the present work had the objective of evaluating the therapeutic action of raltegravir in cats naturally infected by FIV, through immunofenotyping and plasma viral load before, trans and after-therapy. The research was conducted by evaluating 9 cats naturally infected by FIV from the medical routine of the Veterinary Clinics Hospital (UFPel) during the year of 2016. These animals were classified in two groups: group 1 (G1) composed by 5 FIV positive animals treated with raltegravir and group 2 (G2) with 4 FIV positive animals non-treated with the antiretroviral. Each animal was submitted to 3 evaluations in distinct moments, the first evaluation (before therapy) was performed until two days before the beginning of the treatment, the second evaluation (trans-therapy) was between the 10th and the 12th day of treatment and the third evaluation (after-therapy) was performed until two days after the suspension of the drug. The dose of 40mg/ cat q 12h, PO, administered for 21 days has showed to be tolerable and safe in the cats, because it did not induce any adverse reaction during the treatment. However, the CD4+ lymphocyte count and the CD4+/CD8+ quotient did not show elevation of values, as well as the plasma viral load did not present suppression after the treatment with raltegravir for the same period. Thus, it was not possible to establish in vivo antiviral activity of the antiretroviral raltegravir against FIV.