title: Detection of maedi-visna virus in the liver and heart of naturally infected sheep.
abstract: Maedi-visna virus (MVV) in sheep, which infects mainly cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage, produces changes in the lung, mammary gland, brain and joints. In this study, however, the liver and heart of six naturally infected sheep were examined for the presence of the virus. MVV proviral DNA was demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, and immunohistochemical examination revealed viral antigens in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes and cardiac myocytes. Although histopathological examination showed mild to moderate, chronic lymphocytic cholangiohepatitis and myocarditis and the presence of small lymphoid aggregates, the typical maedi lymphoproliferative lesions (lymphoid follicle-like structures of considerable size with germinal centres) were not seen in the liver and heart. These novel findings suggest that, although the macrophage is the main cell for productive viral replication, the liver and heart represent additional MVV targets.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Brellou
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Angelopoulou
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poutahidis
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vlemmas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D006321:Heart / Q000821:virology*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008168:Lung / Q000821:virology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D011021:Pneumonia, Progressive Interstitial, of Sheep / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012756:Sheep; D014790:Visna-maedi virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral