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Title: EFFECT OF VIREMIA AND ANTIBODY STATUS ON VIRAL DISTRIBUTION IN DIFFERENT TISSUES OF ALV-J INFECTED MEAT TYPE CHICKENS

Author
item PANDIRI, ARUN KUMAR - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
item REED, WILLIE - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
item Fadly, Aly

Submitted to: American Association of Avian Pathologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2005
Publication Date: 7/16/2005
Citation: Pandiri, A.R., Reed, W.M., Fadly, A.M. 2005. Effect of viremia and antibody status on tumor incidence, tumor spectrum, and viral distribution in different tissues of ALV-J infected meat type chickens [abstract]. American Association of Avian Pathologists. p. 57.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: After apparent clearance of Subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV J), the virus appears to persist in the chicken for a long time with no signs of overt viremia. Infrequently viremia reappears in these seroconverted chickens that are apparently healthy or immunosuppressed. The location of the virus in these seroconverted chickens is not known. Hence, the objective of this study was to demonstrate viral env antigen gp85 (by immunohistochemistry) as well as provirus (by polymerase chain reaction) in various tissues from 32 week old commercial meat-type and ADOL Line 0 chickens that have seroconverted with loss of viremia (V-A+) or have different ALV J infection profile (tolerized Viremia + and Antibody - (tV+A-), non tolerized V+A- (ntV+A-), and V+A+). Expression of gp85 in viremic chickens (tV+A-, ntV+A-, V+A+) was found in adrenal gland, bone marrow, gonad, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, proventriculus, spleen, thymus and in ALV J-induced tumors. Sciatic nerve was positive for gp85 in the tV+A- chicken but not in ntV+A-, V+A+ or V-A+ chickens. In addition, minor differences in the pattern of gp85 expression in lymphocytes were found between tV+A- chicken and viremic chickens of other groups (ntV+A- or V+A+). Expression of gp85 was absent in the tissues from V-A+ meat-type or Line 0 chickens. Hence, there was a direct correlation between viremia and tissue distribution of gp85 regardless of the antibody response and strain of chickens since only viremic chickens (tV+A-, ntV+A-, V+A+) but not non-viremic seroconverted chickens (V-A+) expressed gp85 in tissues. However, ALV J proviral DNA was demonstrated in majority of the tissues tested from viremic (tV+A-, ntV+A-, V+A+) and non-viremic chickens (V-A+).