THE EFFECT OF INFECTIOUS BURSAL DISEASE VIRUS ON B-LYMPHOCYTES AND BURSAL STROMAL COMPONENTS IN SPECIFIC PATHOGEN-FREE (SPF) WHITE LEGHORN CHICKENS

The effect of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was studied on adult specific pathogen-free (SPF) white Leghorn chickens through analysis of peripheral blood cell suspensions and histological staining patterns on various tissue types, with specific mAbs. A rapid, progressive loss of B lymphocytes was observed in the bursal cortex and medulla, peripheral blood and thymic medulla. There was, however, a resistant population of MUI-36+ cells at the bursal cortico-medullary junction and scattered around splenic periellipsoidal sheaths. These resistant cells were suggested to be a subpopulation of macrophages which expressed the MUI-36 marker; alternatively these may have phagocytosed virally infected B cells or their remnants. Throughout the period of infection, T lymphocytes appeared nonsusceptible. Further, while the distribution of stromal cell antigens within the bursal cortex remained unaltered, particular epitopes on the surface epithelium and in the medulla were lost as a consequence of viral infection. The data presented therefore suggests that immunodepression of chickens post-IBDV infection, may arise as a direct consequence of infection of B lymphocytes; additionally, it is possible that the elimination of certain crucial elements within the bursal microenvironment may contribute to this state.