The BLV-induced leukemia--lymphosarcoma complex in sheep.

Sheep are highly susceptible to BLV infection and can be infected via several different means (routes). In all inoculated animals, specific anti-BLV antibodies can be demonstrated 1 to 3 months post-inoculation (p.i.). Between 10 and 13 months p.i., a moderate but persistent lymphocytosis (PL) may be detected in about 50% of the infected animals. This hematological disorder may be, but is not necessarily, associated with the development of a lymphosarcoma and can (might) be interpreted as a true lymphoid leukemia. According to findings revealed by immunolabelling and mitogen stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes, BLV-induced PL appears to be a B-cell disorder. Induced lymphosarcoma appears in about 40% of infected sheep during the 6 years p.i. It too is of B-lymphocyte lineage. In vitro studies demonstrate that BLV antigen is expressed exclusively in B-lymphocytes. Yet, BLV expression is greatly stimulated in whole lymphocyte culture by the addition of T-cell mitogen. This same phenomenon occurs when the supernatant of stimulated T-lymphocyte cultures is added to isolated BLV-infected B-lymphocytes. This observation supports the hypothesis that, as is the case with other retroviruses such as HIV, BLV is able to use the regular activation machinery of the immune system for its own replication and transmission. It seems, therefore, that the leukemia-lymphoma complex in sheep may serve as an accurate experimental model for the study of the biological properties of retroviruses.