CHARACTERIZATION OF SURFACE-MARKERS PRESENT ON CELLS INFECTED BY CHICKEN ANEMIA VIRUS IN EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED CHICKENS

Specific-pathogen-free chickens were infected with chicken anemia viru s (CAV) at 1 day of age and killed after 6 days. Using a double-antibo dy staining procedure, spleen, thymus, and bone-marrow cells containin g CAV antigen were stained for presence of T-cell antigens and chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class 1 and 2 antigens. The re sults demonstrated CAV infection of precursor T-cells in the thymus an d of mature T-lymphocytes in the spleen. A significant proportion of t he cells infected in bone marrow expressed MHC Class 2 antigens but di d not exhibit the characteristics of T-lymphocytes. Since CAV grows in MDCC-MSB1 cells, the staining characteristics of these cells were als o studied. MSB 1 cells possessed all of the characteristics of mature, helper T-lymphocytes.