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Polyclonal Activation of B‐Lymphocytes and Induction of Autoimmunity in Retrovirus Infected NMRI Mice
Author(s) -
FAXVAAG A.,
MOEN T.,
DALRN B.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1993.tb02588.x
Subject(s) - retrovirus , immunology , immunosuppression , spleen , virology , polyclonal antibodies , biology , lymph , immune system , autoimmunity , medicine , virus , antibody , pathology
Polyclonal activation of B‐lymphocytes accompanies many retroviral infections. Friend derived murine immunosuppressive virus (Fd‐MIV) is a non‐defective murine retrovirus which was isolated from T‐helper cells from mice infected with the acute transforming retrovirus Friend leukaemia complex (FLC). In contrast to FLC, Fd‐MIV does not induce acute transformation of lymphoid and erythroid cells but causes immunosuppression and lymphadenopathy in adult NMRI mice. The effect of Fd‐MIV infection on B‐lymphocytes was studied. Fd‐MIV infection led to a persistent hypergammaglobulinemy with a significant increase in the level of circulating IgG, IgM and immune complexes. In the spleen and lymph nodes, B‐lymphocyte proliferation was found. Parallel to the development of hypergammaglobulinemy, autoantibodies to a variety of nuclear and other autoantigens was detected. In conclusion, the Fd‐MIV infection leads to a B‐lymphocyte dysfunction that has many parallels with AIDS. Furthermore, the Fd‐MIV infection seems to represent an example of an autoimmune condition caused by an exogenous infectious agent.