Haematological and lymphocyte subset analyses in sheep inoculated with bovine immunodeficiency-like virus.

Bovine immunodeficiency-like virus (BIV) was passaged in vivo by intraperitoneal transfusion of ovine whole blood. Prior to transfusion, the recipient sheep were given sodium thioglycolate intraperitoneally to induce mild non-suppurative inflammation. The anti-BIV antibody response, haematology, and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (B, gamma delta, CD2+, CD4+ and CD8+) of recipient sheep were assessed for one year following transfusion. Passaging was successful since serum anti-BIV antibody responses were detected in 5 of the 6 recipient sheep; 1 of the 5 remained seropositive throughout the study. Lentivirus was not isolated from the recipient sheep, but provirus was detected by the polymerase chain reaction in DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes in 3 of the 5 sheep that seroconverted. In the BIV-inoculated sheep, neutrophils and eosinophils were significantly increased (p < or = 0.05) at 3 months and between 6 and 8 months postinoculation, respectively. B, CD2+ and CD4+ cells and the CD4+/CD8+ ratios were significantly increased (p < or = 0.05) 2 months postinoculation. Mild, transient haematological changes occurred in BIV-exposed sheep, but illness was not detected in the year.