Differential expression of cell death-associated markers may reflect distinct renal lesion patterns in effusive and non-effusive feline infectious peritonitis

作者：Usta M, Karaman M, İlhan F, Özen H · 发表于：BMC veterinary research · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1186/s12917-026-05596-4 · 被引用次数：38 · 研究领域：Feline Infectious Peritonitis、Kidney、Cell Death、Animals、Cats、Biomarkers、Apoptosis、Necroptosis、Necrosis、Male、Female、Immunohistochemistry

BACKGROUND: Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal, immune-mediated disease caused by the mutagenic variants of feline coronavirus and manifests as effusive (wet) and non-effusive (dry) clinical forms with distinct pathological features. Although necrosis is a common histopathological finding in FIP, the contribution of specific regulated cell death (RCD) pathway-associated protein expression patterns to tissue injury across different clinical forms remains poorly understood. This study aimed to concurrently and comparatively evaluate apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy-associated cell death, and ferroptosis in the renal tissues of cats with effusive and non-effusive FIP. METHODS: Archival kidney samples from cats diagnosed with effusive (n = 18) and non-effusive (n = 18) FIP were included in the study. Immunohistochemistry on tissue sections was performed to assess markers associated with apoptosis by Caspase-3 and Caspase-8, necroptosis-associated signaling by RIP3, autophagy-associated activity by LC3-II, and ferroptosis-associated lipid metabolic susceptibility by ACSL-4. Necrosis was evaluated histomorphologically using a semi-quantitative scoring system, and immunohistochemical expression levels were digitally quantified and statistically compared between the groups. RESULTS: Histopathological evaluation revealed widespread tubular degeneration and necrosis in both clinical forms, with no significant difference in necrosis scores between the effusive and the non...