Viral antigen in endocrine cells of the pancreatic islets and adrenal cortex of Pekin ducks infected with duck hepatitis B virus.
Endocrine cells in the pancreas and adrenal glands of duck hepatitis B virus-infected ducks were examined for the presence of viral antigen. Analysis of pancreas tissue was based on double immunofluorescence assays in which anti-duck hepatitis B virus serum was used to detect viral antigen, and anti-glucagon and anti-insulin serum were used, respectively, to identify endocrine alpha and beta cells. Assays of pancreas from infected ducks ranging in age from 3 to 20 weeks indicated that subpopulations of both alpha and beta cells expressed viral antigen. A higher percentage of viral antigen-positive cells was observed in alpha-islets than in beta-islets. As assayed by immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase staining with anti-viral serum, small clusters of viral antigen-positive cells were detected in the adrenal glands of young infected ducks. These cells were identified as cortical cells on the basis of histologic criteria.
D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000818:Animals; D004372:Ducks; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens