Leukocyte subpopulations in kidney and trachea of chickens infected with infectious bronchitis virus.

Using immunohistochemical methods, we studied the nephropathogenicity of the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV)-strain V1648- and the leukocyte phenotypes in the pathological lesions in the kidneys and the trachea formed after inoculation with this virus strain. One-day-old WLA chickens were intravenously inoculated, and after 5, 7 and 11 days their kidneys, trachea and lungs were removed. Monoclonal antibodies were used to detect viral antigen, and lymphoid and non-lymphoid cell populations. In serial sections, the detection of the viral antigen was correlated to the phenotypes of the cells. At days 5 and 7 after inoculation, viral antigen was detected in the epithelium and the interstitium of the kidney tubuli and in the epithelium of the trachea. The infiltrated cells in these tissues were mainly of the T cell phenotype. The cellular immune reaction was correlated with the detection of viral antigen.