FeLiCHe Study

Background

Treatment options for cats with inflammatory liver diseases are limited by our poor understanding of their specific underlying causes.
In humans, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of acute and chronic hepatitis.
HBV-related chronic hepatitis can progress to liver cancer, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in people.
Cats are naturally infected with a virus that is closely related to HBV, domestic cat hepatitis B virus (DCHBV).¹
DCHBV causes 1 out of every 4 feline HCCs.²
We hypothesize that DCHBV infection causes viral hepatitis in cats.
This study will compare the frequency of detection of DCHBV in liver biopsies from cats with acute and chronic hepatitis, with the frequency in control samples.
This study has the potential to identify a treatable and preventable cause of feline hepatitis.

Study Requirements

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embed (FFPE) liver biopsy from cats diagnosed with:
- acute hepatitis
- chronic hepatitis
- hepatocellular carcinoma (we request HCC because the samples may include areas of chronic hepatitis)
Signalment data and available clinical information (deidentified).

Blocks are preferred. Alternatively, 10 unstained slides with 4 tissue scrolls (10µm each) in a sterile microtube. Please, attach the submission sheet with your samples.

For veterinary pathologists specifically: If you are able to assist by searching your archives, please use the following search terms: [chronic hepatitis] [acute hepatitis] [acute hepatic necrosis] [hepatic fibrosis] [interface hepatitis] [piecemeal necrosis].

Note: Cholangitis (all forms) is excluded from the study. If the diagnosis is uncertain and true hepatitis is a possibility, please submit.

Contact Information

Vinicius Dahm – Graduate Student

For additional information, shipping instructions, and shipping labels, please get in touch with us at felichestudy@tamu.edu.

Mentors:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I am an owner, can I submit samples from my cat for testing?

Yes. Samples that were previously submitted to a diagnostic laboratory (for example, liver biopsies) usually are archived for many years. As an owner, you can request that the laboratory or your veterinarian forward these samples to us so they can be included in the study. Please contact us or ask the lab or clinic to contact us at felichestudy@tamu.edu for shipping instructions. Shipping expenses will be covered by the study.

Will I get results back?

The results from the DCHBV PCR for each case will be provided to the submitter. This may take some time. Importantly, PCR testing is carried out for research purposes, and the results of the PCR are not intended to guide the clinical management of the case in any way. We simply don’t know enough about the clinical consequences of DCHBV infection to offer diagnostic testing yet, hence the reason for this study.

Are cases of feline cholangitis useful for the study?

No. The study investigates specifically hepatitis (acute and chronic). These cases are expected to be diagnosed uncommonly. Cases that have typical findings of cholangitis (neutrophilic, lymphocytic, fluke-associated) are excluded. Where the diagnosis is uncertain, please submit, as part of the study includes review of all cases by a board-certified anatomic pathologist (Joao Cavasin) before viral testing.

Does the study require clinical information in addition to the sample?

When possible, providing clinical history (such as age, clinical signs, diagnosis, and laboratory findings) is extremely helpful, but not a requirement. The additional information goes a long way in improving our understanding of the virus, hepatitis, and liver cancer in cats.

Will you return tissue blocks?

Yes, blocks will be returned at the conclusion of the study. If you need your tissues sooner, return will be arranged accordingly.

How will my contribution to the study be recognized?

We understand and appreciate the time and effort that goes into identifying, retrieving, and submitting clinical samples for collaborative research projects. For this particular study, we expect the final sample set to include only a few samples from each participating clinic or lab. In this case, formal “acknowledgement” of contributors may be most appropriate. Coauthorship will, of course, be offered where contributions meet requirements for this role (e.g. CRediT).

My question is not answered here.

You can reach us at felichestudy@tamu.edu with any additional questions. We might even add your question to the FAQ!

References

Aghazadeh, M., Shi, M., Barrs, V. R., McLuckie, A. J., Lindsay, S. A., Jameson, B., Hampson, B., Holmes, E. C., & Beatty, J. A. (2018). A Novel Hepadnavirus Identified in an Immunocompromised Domestic Cat in Australia. Viruses, 10(5), 269. https://doi.org/10.3390/V10050269
Cavasin, J. P., Chen, M. C., Ajoyan, H., Dobromylskyj, M. J., Huang, W. H., Jager, M., Van Brussel, K., Rockett, R., Nekouei, O., Watson, P., Bestwick, J., Choi, Y. R., Lidbury, J. A., Cullen, J. M., Holmes, E., Steiner, J. M., Tu, T., & Beatty, J. A. (2025). Recurrent integration of domestic cat hepatitis B virus DNA near feline CCNE1 supports an oncogenic role in hepatocellular carcinoma in cats. Tumour Virus Research, 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvr.2025.200324

FeLiCHe Study

Background

Study Requirements

Contact Information

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

References

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