Viral-antibody complexes in canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1)ocular lesions: leukocyte chemotaxis and enzyme release.

Canine adenovirus-type 1 (CAV-1)-antibody complexes caused severe anterior uveitis with corneal edema ("blue eye") when injected into the anterior chamber of normal dogs. The response of the anterior uvea to such immune complexes (IC) was similar to the spontaneously occurring disease. In the presence of complement (C'), IC caused release of neutrophile chemotactic factors. Following phagocytosis of IC-C' leukocytes released lysosomal enzymes, as indicated by the presence of acid phosphatase in the surrounding medium. Membrane bound viral aggregates, presumably IC, were common in neutrophiles and in macrophages that had infiltrated the anterior chamber of opaque eyes that occurred after intravenous (IV) inoculation with attenuated CAV-1. These data were incorporated into a postulated scheme for the pathogenesis of CAV-1 uveitis with corneal edema.