In situ characterization of mononuclear leukocytes in skin and digestive tract of persistently bovine viral diarrhea virus-infected clinically healthy calves and calves with mucosal disease.

The phenotypic identity of mononuclear leukocytes in skin and digestive tract of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV)-infected animals was examined using sensitive single and double labeling immunocytochemical techniques. Occurrence and distribution of B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes of either the helper (BoT4) or suppressor/cytotoxic (BoT8) subsets, and macrophages (M phi) were examined. No differences were found in the skin and digestive tract of persistently infected clinically healthy calves and uninfected controls, despite widespread virus-antigen presence in keratinocytes (stratum basale and stratum spinosum) of skin and upper digestive tract, in dermal/subepithelial macrophages (M phi), in gut-epithelial cells, and in lymphocytes and M phi/monocytes of blood and lymphoid tissues of the former group. M phi and Langerhans cells (LC) were the prevailing leukocyte types in the keratinized epithelia and subepithelial connective tissues, with occasional T lymphocytes (mostly intraepithelially located and of the BoT8 phenotype). No B cells were seen. Some infiltrating leukocytes also contained virus antigen. In animals succumbing to mucosal disease (MD), hyper- and parakeratotic changes, as well as necrotizing epithelial lesions, were accompanied by massive infiltration in dermis and epithelium of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen positive cells (M phi and LC), some T lymphocytes (predominantly BoT8 positive cells), and, only rarely, B cells. M phi also predominated in lamina propria of the gastrointestinal tract. Findings suggest that M phi activation is an important aspect of MD pathogenesis. In contrast, the contention that T lymphocytes may play a major role could not be substantiated.