Functional T lymphocytes are required for a murine retrovirus-induced immunodeficiency disease (MAIDS).
Athymic nu/nu mice were found to be resistant to the immunodeficiency disease and lethality induced in normal mice by the injection of the LP-BM5 mixture of murine retroviruses (LP-BM5 MuLV). Susceptibility to disease induction was reconstituted by injection of nu/nu mice with purified, mature T lymphocytes. The extent of viral replication of both the ecotropic and mink cell focus forming (MCF) components of LP-BM5 MuLV was equivalent in both nu/nu and normal animals. Retrovirally-induced immunodeficiency disease in mice (MAIDS) is thus dependent upon the presence of functional T lymphocytes, and high virus titers in athymic mice have little or no effect on the immune system.
D000818:Animals; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000209:etiology*; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*