HEMATOLOGICAL AND LYMPHOCYTE SUBSET ANALYSES IN SHEEP INOCULATED WITHBOVINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY-LIKE VIRUS

Bovine immunodeficiency-like virus (BIV) was passaged in vivo by intra peritoneal 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 respon se, haematology, and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (B, gammadelt a, CD2+, CD4+ and CD8+) of recipient sheep were assessed for one year following transfusion. Passaging was successful since serum anti-BIV a ntibody responses were detected in 5 of the 6 recipient sheep; 1 of th e 5 remained seropositive throughout the study. Lentivirus was not iso lated from the recipient sheep, but provirus was detected by the polym erase chain reaction in DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes in 3 of t he 5 sheep that seroconverted. In the BIV-inoculated sheep, neutrophil s and eosinophils were significantly increased (p less-than-or-equal-t o 0.05) at 3 months and between 6 and 8 months postinoculation, respec tively. B, CD2+ and CD4+ cells and the CD4+/CD8+ ratios were significa ntly increased (p less-than-or-equal-to 0.05) 2 months postinoculation . Mild, transient haematological changes occurred in BIV-exposed sheep , but illness was not detected in the year.