Coxsackie B4 virus crystal formation in mouse pancreas.

For the first time, Coxsackie B4 virus crystals are demonstrated in tissues of animals inoculated with the virus. Until this report, Coxsackie B4 virus had never been found to form crystalline aggregates in tissues of any kind. The viral crystals which were located in the pancreas of newborn mice were associated with ultrastructural damage to the pancreas not observed in control animals, thereby indicating that viruses directly invade and damage these tissues. Thus, this virus must be considered among etiologic factors in pancreatic disease.