VIRAL PLASMACYTOSIS (ALEUTIAN DISEASE) IN MINK. V. THE OCCURRENCE OF HYALIN GLOMERULAR LESIONS AND FIBRINOID ARTERITIS IN EXPERIMENTAL INFECTIONS.

One hundred mink with experimental viral plasmacytosis were examined for fibrinoid vascular lesions. Abnormal hyalin deposits were found in glomeruli in all cases of advanced disease. Fibrinoid arteritis occurred only in Aleutian type mink in this study. Seven of 30 experimentally infected Aleutian mink were found to have fibrinoid arteritis, together with other lesions of advanced plasmacytosis. The type of inoculum seemed of no consequence in development of vascular lesions. Equally severe lesions developed after inoculation with cell-free filtrates as were found in mink inoculated with crude tissue suspensions. These observations strengthen the concept of a virus as the primary etiologic agent and confirm the view that Aleutian disease is a convenient experimental model for studies on the collagen diseases.