title: Myxosarcomas associated with avian leukosis virus subgroup A infection in fancy breed chickens.
abstract: Formalin-fixed suspect tumors were submitted to the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA) for diagnosis. Samples were from fancy breed chickens with a history of increased tumor prevalence in both hens and roosters. Microscopically, in all the samples, there were neoplastic proliferations of spindle-shaped cells. The matrix surrounding tumor cells stained positively with Alcian blue at pH 2.5, but neoplastic cells did not stain with periodic acid-Schiff. Immunohistochemistry stains were positive for vimentin and neuron-specific enolase and negative for desmin, smooth muscle actin, and S-100 protein. Tumors were determined to be myxosarcomas. All samples were positive for PCR targeting the gp85 avian leukosis virus (ALV) envelope protein. However, analysis of the predicted amino acid sequences in the envelope gene from three separate samples showed high similarity between them and to ALV subgroup A.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health, Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. smwillia@uga.edu
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hafner
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zavala
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D001353:Avian Leukosis / Q000821:virology*; D001354:Avian Leukosis Virus / Q000235:genetics*; D002645:Chickens; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009236:Myxosarcoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins