Suppression of in vitro antibody response by spleen cells of mice infected with Friend-associated lymphatic leukemia virus.

The ability of spleen cells of mice infected with oncornaviruses to depress the in vitro antibody responsiveness of normal lymphoid cells was exploited in an attempt to clarify the role played by the lymphatic leukemia virus (LLV) component in the immunodepressive properties of the Friend leukemia complex. Spleen cells of mice infected with LLV or, for comparison, with the entire complex were added to cultures of sheep erythrocyte-primed uninfected spleen cells, and the antibody-forming cells produced by the latter, after antigen restimulation, were assayed. The addition within 2 days from culture initiation of low numbers of cells infected with either virus preparation suppressed all stages of the response affecting the production of both immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G antibody. The activity of infected cells resisted doses of ultraviolet radiation which inhibit cell multiplication but was abolished by disrupting the cells and was prevented by the presence of anti-LLV antibodies. The LLV-infected spleen cells responsible for suppression were not removed by treatments which selectively remove or kill macrophages and exhibited surface properties of B lymphocytes. These results were interpreted as indicating that the effect is due to virus (or viral products) released by B cells. The suppressing cells in the spleens of mice in the early days of Friend leukemia complex infection presented superimposable properties, supporting the concept that their activity is also due to the LLV they release in large quantities. However, in later stages of infection, the spleens of Friend leukemia complex-infected mice also contained non-B-suppressing cells possibly derived from the proliferation of nonlymphoid LLV-producing cells caused by the neoplastic process.