Association between BoLA and subclinical bovine leukemia virus infection in a herd of Holstein-Friesian cows

• Published in: Immunogenetics (New York) 1988-05, Vol.27 (5), p.338-344
• Main Authors: LEWIN, H. A, MING-CHE WU, STEWART, J. A, NOLAN, T. J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Antigens, Viral - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; bovine leukemia virus; Cattle - genetics; Cattle - immunology; Cattle - microbiology; Disease Susceptibility; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Genetics of the immune response; Histocompatibility Antigens - analysis; Histocompatibility Antigens - genetics; Immunobiology; Leukemia Virus, Bovine - immunology; Leukemia Virus, Bovine - isolation & purification; Leukemia, Experimental - genetics; Leukemia, Experimental - immunology; Leukemia, Experimental - pathology; Major Histocompatibility Complex; Phenotype; Retroviridae - isolation & purification; Viral Envelope Proteins - immunology
• ISSN: 0093-7711; 1432-1211
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00395129

The role of the bovine major histocompatibility system (BoLA) in subclinical bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection was investigated in a herd of Holstein-Friesian cows (n = 240). The BoLA W8.1 allele was negatively associated with the presence of antibodies to the major BLV envelope glycoprotein, BLV-gp51 (corrected P less than 0.001, relative risk = 0.31). These results suggest that a BoLA-linked gene(s) may influence the early spread of BLV infection. Since B cells are the primary target of BLV infection, we then determined the relationship between BoLA-A locus phenotypes and B-cell numbers in peripheral blood of seropositive and seronegative cows. There were no significant differences between BoLA-A alleles for any hematological parameter in seronegative cows. Seropositive cows with the W12.1 allele had significantly greater absolute numbers of lymphocytes per microliter and B cells per microliter than did seropositive cows with other BoLA-A phenotypes (P less than 0.01, respectively). The average effect associated with the W12.1 allele in BLV-infected cows was an increase of 2010 B cells per microliter of whole blood relative to BLV-infected cows with other BoLA-A phenotypes. These results demonstrate that susceptibility to the polyclonal expansion of BLV-infected B lymphocytes is associated with the W12.1 allele in Holstein-Friesian cattle. Compared with results of a previous study in a herd of Shorthorn cattle, it appears that resistance and susceptibility to subclinical progression of BLV infection are associated with different BoLA-A locus alleles in different cattle breeds.