Evidence that the spontaneous blastogenesis of lymphocytes from bovine leukemia virus-infected cattle is viral antigen specific.
Cattle lymphocytes cultured for 3 days were found to spontaneously incorporate thymidine (3STI). Under optimal conditions of culture, the median magnitude of 3STI activity in lymphocytes from bovine leukemia virus (BLV)-infected cattle was higher than that of BLV-free cattle, but the ranges of the values overlapped. However, the 3STI activity of most BLV-infected cattle was specifically inhibited by serum containing BLV antibodies, whereas the 3STI activity of BLV-free cattle was not. The 3STI inhibitor copurified with immunoglobulin, and its activity could be absorbed with BLV. Rabbit anti-BLV serum inhibited 3STI, but rabbit anti-BLV p25 did not. These results indicate that BLV infection induces or expands a BLV-specific lymphocyte population. Spontaneous blastogenesis may be indicative of an immune response which controls virus spread.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007136:Immunoglobulins