Detection of complement-dependent lytic antibodies in sera from bovine leukemia virus-infected animals.
Cattle and sheep infected by Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) harbor complement-dependent cytotoxic IgG1 antibodies. These antibodies lyse BLV producing cells but are inactive against noncultured tumorous lymphocytes of animals with persistent lymphocytosis. The target structure in the cell membrane contains antigenic determinants of BLV gp 60. The level of cytotoxic activity increases with progression of the disease towards the tumor phase. Sheep vaccinated with inactivated BLV have no cytotoxic activity in the serum but seem to resist infectious BLV challenge. Such cytotoxic activities do not protect the host against tumor growth but strongly control viremia and thus limit BLV spread within bovine and ovine populations.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002417:Cattle / Q000276:immunology; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine / Q000276:immunology*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G