title: Response of white leghorn chickens of various genetic lines to infection with avian leukosis virus subgroup J.
abstract: In Experiment 1, chickens from various white leghorn experimental lines were inoculated with strain ADOL-Hcl of subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) either as embryos or at 1 day of age. At various ages, chickens were tested for ALV-J induced viremia, antibody, and packed cell volume (PCV). Also, at 4 and 10 wk of age, bursal tissues were examined for avian leukosis virus (ALV)-induced preneoplastic lesions with the methyl green-pyronine (MGP) stain. In Experiment 2, chickens harboring or lacking endogenous virus 21 (EV21) were inoculated with strain ADOL-Hcl of ALV-J at hatch. All embryo-inoculated chickens in Experiment 1 tested positive for ALV-J and lacked antibody throughout the experimental period of 30 wk and were considered viremic tolerant, regardless of line of chickens. By 10 wk of age, the incidence of ALV-J viremia in chickens inoculated with virus at hatch varied from 0 (line 0 chickens) to 97% (line 1515); no influence of ALV-J infection was noted on PCV. Results from microscopic examination of MGP-stained bursal tissues indicate that ALV-J can induce typical ALV-induced transformation in bursal follicles of white leghorn chickens. Lymphoid leukosis and hemangiomas were the most common ALV-J-induced tumors noted in chickens in Experiment 1. At termination of Experiment 2 (31 wk of age), 54% of chickens harboring EV21 were viremic tolerant compared with 5% of chickens lacking EV21 after inoculation with ALV-J at hatch. The data indicate that genetic differences among lines of white leghorn chickens, including the presence or absence of EV21, can influence response of chickens to infection with ALV-J.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, 3606 East Mount Hope Road, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Willie M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Larry D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Bacon
authors.forename: Aly M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fadly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001353:Avian Leukosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D001354:Avian Leukosis Virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014766:Viremia / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral