Immune profile of infectious bursal disease (IBD). II. Effect of IBD virus on pokeweed-mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes of chickens.

Pokeweed-mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes from chickens infected with infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) at 1 day and 3 weeks of age, together with those from uninfected age-matched control chickens, were examined at weekly intervals for their capacity to undergo in vitro terminal differentiation. This study included the determination of cytoplasmic-immunoglobulin (CIg)-containing peripheral blood lymphocytes and those bearing the surface membrane immunoglobulin (SmIg) cells to detect any defect in immunoglobulin synthesis and secretion, respectively. The results of our study indicated that there was a highly significant and pronounced progressive depletion of CIg-containing cells in chickens infected at 1 day of age. These findings suggest that IBDV affected the "immature" or precursor B cells to a far greater extent than mature B lymphocytes.