title: Characterization of the atypical lymphocytes in African swine fever.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atypical lymphocytes usually described as lymphocytes with altered shape, increased DNA amount, and larger size. For analysis of cause of genesis and source of atypical lymphocytes during African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection, bone marrow, peripheral blood, and in vitro model were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Atypical lymphocytes under the influence of ASFV were studied for morphologic, cytophotometric, and membrane surface marker characteristics and were used in vivo and in vitro models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study indicated the increased size, high metabolic activity, and the presence of additional DNA amount in atypical lymphocytes caused by ASFV infection. Furthermore, in atypical lymphocytes, nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio usually decreased, compared to normal lymphocytes. In morphology, they looking like lymphocytes transformed into blasts by exposure to mitogens or antigens in vitro. They vary in morphologic detail, but most of them are CD2 positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that atypical lymphocytes may represent an unusual and specific cellular response to ASFV infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 7 Hasratyan St, 0014 Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Karalyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 7 Hasratyan St, 0014 Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Z R
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Ter-Pogossyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 7 Hasratyan St, 0014 Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: L O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Abroyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 7 Hasratyan St, 0014 Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Hakobyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 7 Hasratyan St, 0014 Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Avetisyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 7 Hasratyan St, 0014 Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Karalyan N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 7 Hasratyan St, 0014 Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Karalova
keywords: African swine fever virus; CD2; DNA ploidy; atypical lymphocytes