Phenotypic analysis of peripheral blood leukocytes in sheep experimentallyinfected with bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV)

The aim of the experiment was a FACS analysis of the immune response of per ipheral blood leukocytes of sheep infected with bovine immunodeficiency vir us BIV, Five sheep were experimentally inoculated with FBL (Foetal Lung Bov ine) cells infected with the BIV R29 strain while four control animals were inoculated with non-infected FBL cells. The anti-BIV antibody response, fe tal number of leukocytes, granulocytes and lymphocyte subset (B, T, CD4, CD 8) and monocytes were assessed for 48 weeks following incubation, Ail anima ls seroconverted to BIV p26 core protein by 6 weeks after inoculation (ai). The influence of BIV infection on cell immunity was demonstrated by the in creased number of T cells, especially the T-H population as well as B cells in the early phase of infection, In BIV inoculated sheep leukocytes, lymph ocytes and T-H cells significantly increased between the 8th and 48th weeks ai, In contrast, the number of B cells increased between the 2nd and 12th weeks ai and nt, significant changes in granulocte and monocyte number were noted,. At the beginning of the infection the number of T-C cells increase d until week 12 of the experiment, The established model of BIV infection i n sheep provides valuable data for examining the pathogenesis of BIV and re lated retroviruses.