Equine herpesvirus 2 in pulmonary macrophages of horses.
In a search of viral agents in pulmonary macrophages of horses with chronic pulmonary disease, equine herpesvirus 2 was found to be unique. In 8 of 9 horses with chronic pulmonary disease, antigens of equine herpesvirus 2 were detected by indirect immunofluorescence staining of scattered foamy macrophages immediately after harvesting by bronchoalveolar lavage and fractionation on metrizamide gradients. In a healthy horse, antigens were not found. After 1 week of cultivation of bronchoalveolar lavage cells from a second group of 9 horses with chronic pulmonary disease, viral antigens were detected in 90% of the adherent pulmonary macrophages. In 2 of 3 healthy horses, viral antigens were detected in 90% of the adherent pulmonary macrophages. In 2 of 3 healthy horses, viral antigens also were found in 90% of the adherent pulmonary macrophages. Antigens of equine herpesvirus 1, equine herpesvirus 4, parainfluenza virus 3, or adenovirus were not detected. Antigens of the 5 investigated viruses also were not detected in lung tissue slices from a third group of 14 horses: 4 healthy; 7 with varying degrees of bronchiolitis, 2 of which also had chronic intestitial pneumonia; 2 with eosinophilic bronchitis; and 1 with pulmonary hemorrhage. The exclusive presence of equine herpesvirus 2 in pulmonary macrophages was confirmed qualitatively by isolation of infective virus by cocultivation. In a fourth group of 12 horses with chronic pulmonary disease, infective virus could be isolated from pulmonary macrophages of 3 horses and from mixed-blood leukocytes of 5 horses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Schlocker
N
N
Division of Applied Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Gerber-Bretscher
R
R
von Fellenberg
R
R
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006734:Horse Diseases; D006736:Horses; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000821:virology*; D018140:Varicellovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000956:Antigens, Viral