TY - JOUR
T1 - A preliminary study of the localization of infectious laryngotracheitis virus glycoprotein E within specific peripheral blood lymphocytes
AU - Nazir, Shahid
AU - Charlesworth, Richard P. G.
AU - Moens, Pierre D. J.
AU - Assen, Awol M.
AU - Walkden-Brown, Stephen W.
AU - Gerber, Priscilla F.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) DNA has been detected in blood fractions, but the cell phenotype with which the virus is associated is unknown. This study investigated the presence of ILTV antigen in peripheral blood cells of six acutely ILTV-infected chickens (5 or 9 days post ocular inoculation with a virulent isolate) and three sham-inoculated chickens using immunofluorescent staining. Blood fractions were separated by Ficoll-Paque density gradient centrifugation, and smears were prepared from erythrocyte and leukocyte fractions. The smears were stained for ILTV glycoprotein E and the leukocyte markers CD4, CD8, Bu-1 (B cell), KUL01 (monocyte/macrophage), TCRγδ, and TCRαβ/Vβ2 and examined under a confocal microscope. In samples from infected birds, ILTV gE-specific fluorescence was localized in B cells and all evaluated T cell types, but not in monocytes and erythrocytes. The percentage of CD4, CD8, TCRγδ, TCRαβ/Vβ1, TCRαβ/Vβ2 and B cells positive for ILTV antigen ranged from 13.3% to 22.3%. None of the samples from the sham-inoculated chickens exhibited fluorescence for ILTV gE. The results of this pilot study suggest that ILTV has a tropism for peripheral blood T and B cells. Further research is required to investigate whether these cells support ILTV productive replication.
AB - Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) DNA has been detected in blood fractions, but the cell phenotype with which the virus is associated is unknown. This study investigated the presence of ILTV antigen in peripheral blood cells of six acutely ILTV-infected chickens (5 or 9 days post ocular inoculation with a virulent isolate) and three sham-inoculated chickens using immunofluorescent staining. Blood fractions were separated by Ficoll-Paque density gradient centrifugation, and smears were prepared from erythrocyte and leukocyte fractions. The smears were stained for ILTV glycoprotein E and the leukocyte markers CD4, CD8, Bu-1 (B cell), KUL01 (monocyte/macrophage), TCRγδ, and TCRαβ/Vβ2 and examined under a confocal microscope. In samples from infected birds, ILTV gE-specific fluorescence was localized in B cells and all evaluated T cell types, but not in monocytes and erythrocytes. The percentage of CD4, CD8, TCRγδ, TCRαβ/Vβ1, TCRαβ/Vβ2 and B cells positive for ILTV antigen ranged from 13.3% to 22.3%. None of the samples from the sham-inoculated chickens exhibited fluorescence for ILTV gE. The results of this pilot study suggest that ILTV has a tropism for peripheral blood T and B cells. Further research is required to investigate whether these cells support ILTV productive replication.
KW - B cells
KW - Glycoprotein E
KW - immunofluorescent staining
KW - infectious laryngotracheitis virus
KW - T cells
KW - viraemia
KW - viral antigen
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122920300&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85122920300&origin=recordpage
U2 - 10.1080/03079457.2021.2015062
DO - 10.1080/03079457.2021.2015062
M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal
C2 - 34881666
SN - 0307-9457
VL - 51
SP - 141
EP - 145
JO - Avian Pathology
JF - Avian Pathology
IS - 2
ER -