Canine large granular lymphocyte leukemia and its derived cell line produce infectious retroviral particles.
We describe a case of large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia in a dog that we followed over a period of 2 years. Analysis of a hematological profile revealed lymphocytosis (19,500 lymphocytes per microliter; reference values, 1,000-4,800 lymphocytes per microliter), with a majority of LGL on the blood smear. LGL is defined as a lymphoid subset comprising 10% of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and corresponding to either CD3- CD8- NK cells or CD3+ CD8+ T cells. The cells are characterized by abundant basophilic cytoplasm containing distinct granules of variable size and number. The characteristic phenotype of our leukemic LGL is of a cytotoxic T cell, CD3+ and CD8+. A new cell line, DLC 02, was established from the peripheral lymphocytes of the leukemic dog. Particles with type C retroviral morphology were found in ultrathin sections of DLC 02 cell pellets. These particles were found to have a sucrose gradient density of 1.17 g/liter and a reverse transcriptase activity with an Mn2+ preference, suggesting that they correspond to a mammalian type C oncovirus.
Ghernati
I
I
Establissement de Transfusion Sanguine, and INSERM U412, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Gerland, France.
Corbin
A
A
Chabanne
L
L
Auger
C
C
Magnol
J P
JP
Fournel
C
C
Monier
J C
JC
Darlix
J L
JL
Rigal
D
D
D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000662:veterinary; D017988:Gammaretrovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000662:veterinary; D010641:Phenotype; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014771:Virion / Q000302:isolation & purification*