Canine systemic lupus erythematosus. Transmission of serologic abnormalities by cell-free filtrates.

The presence of viruses was sought in a colony of dogs bred from parents with systemic lupus crythematosus (SLE). Cell-free filtrates prepared from the spleens of these animals were injected into newborn dogs, mice, and rats. The canine recipients developed antinuclear antibody (ANA) and positive lupus erythematosus (LE) cell tests: ANA and, in some cases, antinative DNA antibodies were produced by the murine recipients: no abnormalities were detected in the rats. Serial passage of spleen cells or cell-free filtrates of spleen tissue in syngeneic mice reduced the time required for appearance of ANA from 9 to 4 mo. Some murine recipients of the canine filtrate developed malignant lymphomas. Murine leukemia viruses were identified in these tumors by electron microscopic, virologic, and serologic technics. These neoplasms, but not other tumors known to contain murine leukemia viruses, were associated with the production of ANA. Puppies inoculated with the canine filtrate-induced mouse lymphoma developed ANA and positive LE cell tests within 4 mo. THE RESULTS WERE INTERPRETED TO INDICATE THE PRESENCE IN CANINE SLE OF A VIRUS CAPABLE OF: (a) inducing the serologic abnormalities of SLE in normal dogs and mice: (b) activating latent murine leukemia viruses: and (c) spreading by both horizonal and vertical routes.