Detection of murine cytomegalovirus DNA in circulating leukocytes harvested during acute infection of mice.
We used virus assay and in situ hybridization with a cloned fragment of the murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) genome to study MCMV infection of circulating leukocytes harvested from 3-week-old BALB/c, C57BL/6, and C3H mice infected with MCMV intraperitoneally. Infectious virus or MCMV DNA was detected in leukocytes on days 1 through 21 of infection in BALB/c mice and on days 3 through 7 in C57BL/6 mice. On days 5 and 7, MCMV DNA or infectious virus was detected in the leukocytes of 17 (94%) of 18 BALB/c mice and 10 (59%) of 17 C57BL/6 mice. In both strains infection peaked on days 5 and 7, when as many as 0.01 to 0.1% of the circulating leukocytes contained MCMV DNA. In C3H mice, however, infectious virus was rarely recovered from leukocyte fractions and MCMV DNA was detected in the circulating leukocytes of only one animal. Circulating leukocytes may have an important role in the dissemination of CMV infections in susceptible hosts.
Bale
J F
JF
Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242.
O'Neil
M E
ME
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology; D015342:DNA Probes; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
D015342:DNA Probes; D004279:DNA, Viral