Autonomous erythropoiesis induced by a virus.

In this communication, data are presented on a virus-induced murine polycythemia (FV-P) that might serve as a useful model in providing information toward an understanding of autonomous erythropoiesis. In addition, the virus that induces this autonomous erythropoiesis is defective and requires a leukemia virus to manifest the spleen focus formation and polycythemia. An analysis of the defectiveness of FV-P has not only increased our understanding of the relationship of FV-P and leukemia helpers but has also shown that this defective virus system may be exploited to detect and characterize any virus isolate or component involved in human polycythemia.