title: Cellular immune response cytokine expression during the initial stage of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection determines the disease progression to persistent lymphocytosis.
abstract: We have established experimental models of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection followed by progression to persistent lymphocytosis (PL) positive (BLV+PL+) or PL negative (BLV+PL-) stages of infection. Two out of six BLV infected animals developed PL+ 4 weeks after BLV infection. One other animal became PL+ late in the course of infection and three infected animals stayed PL-. These animals (PL-) exhibited transient lymphocytosis 3-4 weeks after infection and sustained PL- lymphocyte counts up to 24 weeks after infection. Competitive RT-PCR analysis of IFN-gamma mRNA expression revealed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of animals with PL+ status developed by 4 weeks after infection had augmented IFN-gamma mRNA expression 3-4 weeks after BLV infection. However PBMC of animals that sustained a long-termed PL- lymphocyte count had elevated IFN-gamma mRNA expression 1-24 weeks after infection. Competitive RT-PCR analysis of IL-2 mRNA expression showed an increase in the levels of IL-2 mRNA in PL animals. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNAs expression were elevated both in PL+ and PL- animals from 3 and 12 weeks after infection respectively. We suggest that early and extended expression of cellular response cytokines may delay the progression to PL+ in enzootic bovine leukemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yakobson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ungar-Waron
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Trainin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma