title: Retroviral inclusions in the enteric smooth muscle of a tumor-bearing young chicken.
abstract: A 15-cm segment of small intestine from a 7-wk-old broiler chicken presented for slaughter was encased by a firm, white mass. Other tissues were grossly unremarkable. Microscopically, the enteric serosa and peripheral muscularis of this segment of small intestine were replaced by a fibrosarcoma. Numerous linear, intracytoplasmic, eosinophilic inclusion bodies were present in smooth muscle cells of the muscularis of the small intestine, and a few similar inclusions were present in the muscularis of the proventriculus. In the heart, there were rare intracytoplasmic inclusions typical of viral matrix inclusions. Ultrastructurally, inclusion bodies in enteric smooth muscle were viral matrix inclusions, and virions resembling avian retroviruses were present in adjacent intercellular spaces. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from tumor tissues indicated the presence of proviral DNA of subgroup J avian leukosis virus. This is the first description of the light microscopic appearance of these viral matrix inclusions in enteric smooth muscle.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Office of Public Health Science, Eastern Laboratory, Russell Research Center, 950 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hafner
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sutton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001354:Avian Leukosis Virus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002645:Chickens; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D007181:Inclusion Bodies, Viral; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000821:virology*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral