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Friend Leukemia Virus Infection in Germfree Mice Following Antigen Stimulation¹

Department of Botany and Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59715

Abstract

The course of leukemia produced by Friend leukemia virus (FLV) in male and female BALB/c mice was compared in conventionally-reared (CR) and germfree (GF) mice. Hematologic and pathologic studies showed that whereas the disease process in CR mice was severe and resulted in death of the mice within a period of 2 to 3 months, few or mild symptoms appeared in GF mice. However, when GF mice were stimulated with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC), mortality from FLV challenge was markedly increased but without typical symptoms of a leukemic process. Immunologic assays showed that FLV completely inhibited the spleen plaque-forming cell response to SRBC in CR mice. This indicates that GF mice may not possess the "target cell" for FLV, and that this "target cell" is probably a precursor to antibody-producing cells.

Footnotes

¹ This work was supported in part by the American Cancer Society, Montana Division Inc., United States Public Health Service Training Grant AI-131-09 and Grant AI-06552-03 from the National Institutes of Health.