Preliminary study on duck enteritis virus-induced lymphocyte apoptosis in vivo

We studied apoptosis induced by duck enteritis virus (DEV) in vivo, focusing on the lymphoid organs that constitute the main targets for infection: thymus, bursa of Fabricius (BF), and spleen. Fifty Pekin ducks were inoculated subcutaneously with a virulent strain of DEV. The morphology of lymphoid organs of these infected ducks was observed by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Cell death by classical necrosis was observed in lymphocytes of the DEV-infected thymus, BF, and spleen. Lymphocyte apoptosis also was observed at the same time, and it was further confirmed by in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling and agarose gel electrophoresis. We conclude that apoptosis and necrosis of lymphocytes induced by DEV infection resulted in the depletion of lymphocytes and that apoptosis of lymphocytes may play an important role in the pathogenesis of duck viral enteritis.     

鸡传染性法氏囊病超强毒感染后SPF鸡免疫器官病理学观察

IBDV超强毒株LX株接种2周龄SPF雏鸡后，其致病性不同于经典强毒株CJ801株，它主要引起接种鸡全身性炎症反应，法氏囊、脾脏、盲肠扁桃体等免疫器官中大量异嗜性白细胞、巨噬细胞浸润，淋巴细胞严重坏死崩解，胸腺皮质严重萎缩、坏死，骨髓中造血细胞减少、巨噬细胞和脂肪细胞增生。在接种后14d法氏囊淋巴滤泡严重萎缩、淋巴细胞排空形成囊腺样结构，未见恢复正常，其它免疫器官形态基本恢复正常。电镜观察，接种后2和4d可见胸腺淋巴细胞胞浆浓集、染色质周边化形成新月形，表现细胞凋亡特征；在法氏囊坏死淋巴细胞胞浆中可见60nm大小呈晶格排列或散在的病毒粒子。研究初步探明了鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒超强毒的致病机理。     

Latency sites and reactivation of duck enteritis virus

Duck virus enteritis (DVE) is a contagious disease caused by herpesvirus in waterfowl populations. Recovered birds become carriers and shed the virus periodically. Reactivation of latent duck enteritis virus (DEV) has been implicated in outbreaks of DVE in domestic and migrating waterfowl populations. In this study, the sites for virus latency were determined in white Pekin ducks infected with the DEV-97 strain. At 3 wk postinfection, infectious virus was not detectable in tissues or cloacal swabs (CSs). At 7 and 9 weeks postinfection, the viral DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in the trigeminal ganglia (TG), suggesting that the virus is latent. Viral DNA was detected in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), spleen, thymus, bursa, and CSs only after in vitro cocultivation. In vivo virus reactivation was demonstrated when dexamethasone or a combination of dexamethasone and cyclophosphamide was inoculated in latently infected ducks. The reactivation of DEV occurred without any clinical evidence of the disease, but the virus was detected in PBL and CSs. We conclude from this study that DEV establishes latency in TG and lymphoid tissues including PBL.     

应用单克隆抗体的免疫组织化学法研究雏鸭体内鸭瘟病毒的分布

本实验应用了免疫组织化学的单克隆抗体间接酶标染色法，对人工感染鸭瘟病毒雏鸭的组织切片进行染色观察。旨在研究病毒在鸭体内分布，对其进行定位。研究结果显示，鸭的心脏、肝脏、脾、胸腺、肠、法氏囊、胰、肺、肾等组织的细胞浆内均出现了染色的特异阳性反应物。结果表明，鸭瘟病毒广泛分布于感染雏鸭的各种组织器官，并造成一定的组织病理变化。     

Pathogenesis of duck plague in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen.

White Pekin ducks were inoculated orally with duck plague virus and killed at 24-hour intervals after inoculation. Spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius were collected and examined by light, fluorescent, and electron microscopy. Necrosis of lymphocytes occurred in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, splenic periarteriolar lymphoid sheath (T lymphocytes), and splenic germinal centers (B lymphocytes). Viral nucleocapsids were present in the karyoplasm of lymphocytes, but these cells necrotized before virions were formed. Periarteriolar reticular sheath cells and sinusoidal lining cells in the spleen, epithelial cells in Hassall's corpuscle of the thymus, epithelial cells between the cortex and medulla of the follicles in the bursa of Fabricius, and macrophages in all 3 tissues contained nucleocapsids in the nuclei and virions in cytoplasmic vacuoles before necrosis occurred.     

Atrophy of the primary lymphoid organs of meat pigeons in Italy associated with circoviruslike particles in the bursa of Fabricius

During a survey effected in a meat pigeon slaughterhouse of central Italy, atrophy of primary lymphoid organs (bursa of Fabricius and thymus) and hypoplasia of bone marrow were observed. Histologic, ultrastructural, and hematologic examinations were performed on a total of 80 randomly selected 30-day-old meat pigeons. By histologic studies, lymphocytic depletion and necrosis with cyst formations in the bursa of Fabricius were detected in all subjects that showed thymus and bursa atrophy at necropsy. Basophilic intranuclear inclusions were also observed in bursal cells. After ultrastructural studies, these inclusions were proved to be viral particles resembling circoviruslike particles in morphology and size. Severe lymphocytic depletion of the bursa was plausibly associated with the presence of the viral particles.     

A clinical case of chicken infectious anemia disease and virus DNA detection in naturally infected broilers in Greece

In this study, chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) DNA was detected from 12-day-old broilers. Clinical history showed that the clinical features were diarrhea, blue wing disease, depression, and death. Necropsy findings were pale liver, severe atrophy of bursa of Fabricius and thymus, and discoloration of the bone marrow as well as hemorrhages subcutaneously and a few in skeletal muscles. The majority of the necropsied broilers had developed gangrenous dermatitis. Histopathology showed hypoplasia of bone marrow and depletion of lymphocytes in spleen, bursa, and subcapsular thymic cortex. Karyorrhexis of lymphocytes was scattered in the thymic cortex and most pronounced in the bursal follicles. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were mainly located in lymphocytes of thymus, with a few in hemopoietic cells of bone marrow. CIAV DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction from bursa, thymus, and bone marrow. A virus strain was detected and genetically characterized in 639 base pairs of VP1 gene. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Greek isolate was clustered together with isolates from Alabama, China, Slovenia, and Bangladesh.     

Detection of infectious bursal disease vaccine viruses in lymphoid tissues after in ovo vaccination of specific-pathogen-free embryos.

Control of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) by vaccination is important for poultry production worldwide. Two vaccines, an IBDV immune complex (ICX) vaccine and an IBDV-2512 vaccine, were administered at 100 mean embryo infectious dose to specific-pathogen-free 18-day-old broiler embryos in ovo. At 3, 6, 9, 15, and 21 days post in ovo vaccination (PIOV), bursa, spleen, and thymus tissues were collected and analyzed for virus protein by antigen capture chemiluminescent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Chicks were bled and antibody titers were determined by the antibody ELISA. At 21 days PIOV, chickens were challenged with a 1:500 dilution of an antigenic standard IBDV strain. At 28 days PIOV, birds were euthanatized and bursa weight:body weight ratios were determined. Embryos vaccinated with either vaccine exhibited 92% hatchability; however, within 1 wk of hatch, birds vaccinated with IBDV-2512 showed 56% mortality, whereas those given IBDV-ICX had only 3.2% mortality. Both IBDV-ICX and IBDV-2512 vaccines were detected in bursa, spleen, and thymus at day 3 PIOV. A 5-day delay in virus replication was observed with IBDV-ICX vaccine. By day 15 PIOV, the IBDV-ICX was no longer detectable in the bursa and spleen but persisted in the thymus. The IBDV-2512 vaccine persisted in the spleen and thymus on day 15 PIOV. By day 21 PIOV, neither vaccine virus was detected in any lymphoid organ. This assay can be useful in the early detection of vaccine virus in the tissues of chickens vaccinated via the in ovo route. Both vaccines caused bursal atrophy at all times PIOV. The IBDV-2512 caused splenomegaly at day 6 PIOV, whereas splenomegaly was not seen in IBDV-ICX-vaccinated birds until day 9 PIOV. Thymus atrophy was observed in IBDV-2512-vaccinated chicks from day 3 PIOV, whereas this occurred on day 15 PIOV in IBDV-ICX-vaccinated birds. Bursa weight: body weight ratios in IBDV-ICX-vaccinated unchallenged and vaccinated challenged birds were not different (P < 0.05).     

A novel "small round virus" inducing poult enteritis and mortality syndrome and associated immune alterations

The role of a novel "small round virus" (SRV) isolated from poult enteritis and mortality syndrome (PEMS) cases in inducing PEMS and associated immune alterations was examined in this study. Specific-pathogen-free and conventional poults were orally challenged with SRV and/or turkey coronavirus and monitored for clinical signs. Intestines, thymus, bursa, and spleens were examined for SRV antigen at various days postinoculation (DPI). Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs), thymocytes, and splenic lymphocytes from inoculated poults or lymphocytes isolated from healthy poults after incubation with SRV in vitro were examined for lymphoproliferative potential against concanavalin A (Con A). The incidence of lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood and thymic lymphocytes of SRV-challenged poults was examined by flow cytometry. The results of these studies showed that the SRV challenge induced diarrhea, growth suppression, and atrophy of thymus and bursa resembling those of PEMS in field and/or experimental infections. The SRV antigen was detected in intestinal tissues soon after infection (i.e., at 2 and 4 DPI), whereas lymphoid tissues such as thymus, bursa, and spleen were positive for SRV antigen starting at 4 DPI until 8 DPI, suggesting virus translocation to lymphoid organs. The responsiveness of PBLs to Con A at 2 DPI was significantly reduced in all virus challenge groups (e.g., 28% and 22% in the SRV-alone group in studies 1 and 2, respectively) below the uninfected group. However, this suppressed response was no longer evident in the SRV group by 7 DPI. The SRV incubation with normal thymocytes and splenocytes in vitro resulted in significantly reduced lymphoproliferative response against Con A (41.2% and 10.49% reductions at 1:50 SRV dilution vs. controls in thymocytes and splenocytes, respectively). Flow cytometry analysis revealed a sudden decline at 2 DPI in the numbers of CD4- CD8+ lymphocyte subset in PBLs of SRV-infected poults. However, by 8 DPI, SRV-challenged poults had relatively higher CD4- CD8+ lymphocytes in PBLs. On the contrary, thymocytes had higher percentages of CD4- CD8+ lymphocytes at 2 and 4 DPI and reached comparable levels at 8 DPI in controls and SRV-infected poults. No differences were observed in CD4+ CD8- lymphocyte numbers in controls vs. SRV-infected poults. The findings of these studies imply that SRV may be a promising primary etiologic agent of PEMS. Furthermore, the SRV infection may compromise the lymphocyte-mediated immune defenses by reducing lymphoproliferation and the CD4- CD8+ (presumably T-cytotoxic cells) lymphocytes during the acute stage of SRV infection.     

鸭瘟病毒强毒株在急性人工感染成年鸭病例体内分布规律

5 6只 3月龄四川麻鸭经皮下接种鸭瘟病毒 (DPV)强毒 SC1株 ,成功建立了 DPV感染的急性病理模型 ,并应用PCR方法检测了不同时间 DPV在感染鸭体各组织器官的分布情况。结果表明 ,接种 2 h后 ,即能够从脑、肝、脾、法氏囊、胸腺中检出 DPV DNA;12 h,可从心脏、肝脏、脾脏、肺脏、肾脏、十二指肠、直肠、法氏囊、胸腺、胰腺、脑、胸肌、食管、腺胃、血液、舌、口腔分泌物、皮肤、骨髓和粪便等检测到 DPV的 DNA。检出时间最早和检出率最高的组织器官为肝脏和脑组织。本试验为阐明 DPV的致病机理和应用 PCR方法检测感染鸭体组织中的 DPV提供了重要的实验数据。     

鸡传染性法氏囊病的病理学研究

人工接种２８日龄非免疫鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒（ＩＢＤＶ）后,对感染鸡的法氏囊、胸腺、脾、盲肠扁桃体、哈德氏腺、肝、肾进行病理组织学检查。感染后４８ｈ,法氏囊淋巴组织最早出现坏死且长久存在。其他淋巴器官的病变出现较迟,程度轻微且恢复较快。ＩＢＤＶ单抗免疫荧光检测,法氏囊及其他淋巴器官中均检测到病毒,接种后１２ｈ法氏囊中即检出病毒,持续时间也最长（攻毒后１２ｄ）,其次是盲肠扁桃体（攻毒后８ｄ）。攻毒１３ｄ以后,上述器官均未检测到病毒。法氏囊粘膜上皮的扫描电镜观察,攻毒后２ｄ,上皮细胞肿胀,微绒毛减少或消失。攻毒后３ｄ,局部上皮细胞坏死、脱落,并向整个粘膜层扩展,攻毒后１０ｄ,上皮层基本修复。     

Electron microscopic studies of the morphogenesis of duck enteritis virus

The morphogenesis of duck enteritis virus (DEV) and distribution in vivo were observed by electron microscopy after ducks were infected experimentally with DEV virulent strain. The investigation showed that a few typical herpesvirus virions and nucleocapsids were first observed in the spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius (BF), and many nucleocapsids, mature viruses, and viral inclusion bodies could be found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of infected liver, small intestine, spleen, thymus, and BF when the ducks died. Nucleocapsids assembled both in nucleus and cytoplasm and could be divided into four different types according to their structures. Typical herpesvirus, light particles (L-particles), and virions without tegument could be observed at the same time. With the replication, assembly, and maturation of the viruses, intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusion bodies, electron-density particles, microtubules, hollow tubes, and coated electron-density bodies were observed in infected cells.     

鸭病毒性肠炎病毒强毒在人工感染鸭体内形态结构和发生学的电镜观察

为研究鸭病毒性肠炎病毒(DEV)CH强毒株在感染鸭体内的分布和形态学发生规律，应用透射电镜和超薄切片技术对人工感染DEV的成年鸭各组织器官进行观察。结果表明：感染后12h在脾脏和法氏囊首先观察到少量的DEV出现，24h后在脾、胸腺和法氏囊以及死亡鸭的肝、肠和胰中均观察到具有典型的疱疹病毒粒子及其核衣壳形态的DEV。DEV病毒核衣壳有空心型、致密核心型、双环型和内壁附有颗粒型4种形态，存在胞核和胞浆两种装配方式。病毒成熟有两种方式：一为细胞核内核衣壳在核内获得皮层，通过核内膜获得囊膜成为成熟病毒；二为核内核衣壳通过内外核膜进入胞浆，核内和胞浆内的核衣壳在细胞浆中获得皮层，然后在各种质膜上获得囊膜，最后成熟病毒通过细胞破裂或其他方式释放到细胞外。伴随着病毒的复制、装配和成熟，细胞中出现多种核内和胞浆包涵体、核内致密颗粒、核内微管和中空短管、胞浆电子致密小体等结构。     

鸭源新城疫病毒对鹅的致病性试验

鸭源新城疫病毒（NDV）SDFC株通过静脉注射、肌肉注射、点眼滴鼻3种途径人工感染15日龄健康雏鹅,观察试验鹅的发病情况及临床症状,于感染后不同时间剖杀,观察各组织器官的主要剖检变化,并进行病理组织学研究,同时对病毒在组织中的抗原分布进行检测。结果显示,试验鹅感染鸭源NDV后发病率达100%,静脉注射组死亡率为80%,肌肉注射组死亡率为40%,点眼滴鼻组死亡率为26.7%。病鹅表现下痢、流泪,部分出现瘫痪、扭头、角弓反张等神经症状;剖检变化表现为胰腺、脾脏有大小不等的白色坏死灶,胸腺、法氏囊萎缩,心包积液,肠道、肝脏、肺脏、肾脏出血;病理组织学变化表现为胸腺、脾脏、法氏囊等器官内淋巴细胞坏死、崩解,心脏、肺脏、肝脏、肾脏广泛性出血、变性;抗原分布检测结果显示,病毒在病鹅体内多个组织器官中分布。试验结果表明,鸭源NDV对鹅具有较强的致病性。     

传染性法氏囊病病毒人工感染鸡病理学观察

应用组织病理学和电子显微镜技术对以传染性法氏囊病病毒不同毒株人工感染后不同感染时间鸡的法氏囊、肾脏、脾脏进行了检查。结果显示:法氏囊淋巴滤泡髓质首先被破坏,滤泡之间水肿,整个淋巴滤泡前B淋巴细胞崩解、坏死,网状细胞和巨噬细胞增生。72小时后,几乎见不到前B淋巴细胞。168小时法氏囊萎缩,上皮增生。脾脏和肾脏仅出现轻微变化。超微结构变化特征是淋巴样组织坏死,法氏囊组织中的前B淋巴细胞、巨噬细胞和网状细胞内有大量约60nm的病毒颗粒,呈结晶状排列,有的细胞中可见到多个病毒结晶体。     

Immune dysfunction following infection with chicken anemia agent and infectious bursal disease virus. I. Kinetic alterations of avian lymphocyte subpopulations.

The potential effect of chicken anemia agent (CAA) alone or in combination with infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) on the immune system of young chickens was determined by measuring alterations in hematocrit values, lymphoid organ-to-body weight ratios and lymphoid cell concentrations at 4, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 28 and 42 days post-inoculation (PI). Lymphocyte subpopulations were identified and counted by flow cytometry using cell suspensions stained with monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) for panlymphocytes (K55), cytotoxic T-cells (CTLA3), T-helper cells (CT3), Ia-expressing cells (P2M11) and macrophages (P7). Chicken anemia agent induced a substantial but transient decrease in hematocrit value, thymus-to-body weight ratio and bursa-to-body weight ratio between 7 and 21 days PI corresponding to a generalized lymphocytopenia in the thymus, bursa and spleen. However, cytotoxic T-cell, T-helper cell and Ia-expressing cell concentrations increased in the bone marrow of birds inoculated with CAA alone or in combination with IBDV during the same time period. T-helper-to-cytotoxic T-cell ratios increased in the thymus and spleen during severe lymphocytopenia, indicating a selective decrease in cytotoxic T-cells. T-helper-to-cytotoxic T-cells ratios increased in the bone marrow, indicating a selective increase in T-helper cell concentrations. The increase in Ia-expressing cells in the bone marrow may be a reflection of increased number of activated T-cells which express Ia antigen. Infectious bursal disease virus alone induced a persistent depression of Ia-expressing cells in the bursa and the spleen and no measurable change in the bone marrow lymphocyte subpopulations. Chickens inoculated simultaneously with CAA and IBDV experienced clinical signs observed in chickens inoculated with each virus separately with a prolonged acute phase prior to recovery or mortality.     

Detection of infectious bursal disease virus in experimentally infected chickens by in situ hybridization

In situ hybridization was used in a pathogenesis study of three vaccine pathotypes (Delaware variant A, D78, and BursaVac) of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). Tissues were excised (bursa, thymus, spleen, proventriculus, and cecal tonsils), fixed in formalin, and paraffin embedded at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 120 hr postinoculation (HPI). With an antisense VP2 gene probe, viral nucleic acid was detected in bursas from both D78- and BursaVac-infected chickens at 24, 48, 72, and 120 HPI. However, viral RNA was detected only in the Delaware variant A-infected birds at 72 HPI. Thymus and spleen were positive in the D78-infected birds at 48 HPI and in the BursaVac-inoculated group at 72 HPI. Viral nucleic acid was not present in detectable levels among any of the tissues tested at 12 HPI. However, by 24 hr, scattered positive lymphoid cells were visualized in the bursal follicles of chickens infected with D78 and BursaVac. In addition, low levels of viral nucleic acids were detected in the thymus and spleen among the D78- and BursaVac-infected birds. The sites of viral replication were consistent between the two vaccine-infected groups (D78 and BursaVac), whereas the chickens infected with Delaware variant A had limited IBDV replication in the bursa.     

Pathology of experimentally induced quail bronchitis

Bobwhite quails (Colinus virginianus) were inoculated with 10(6) mean tissue-culture infective dose of quail bronchitis virus at 1, 3, 6, or 9 weeks of age by intratracheal, intraperitoneal, or subcutaneous routes. Quails developed necrotizing tracheitis, proliferative and necrotizing bronchitis and pneumonia; multifocal necrotizing hepatitis; necrotizing splenitis, with or without hyperplasia of splenic mononuclear phagocytes; bursal lymphoid necrosis; and bursal atrophy. Lesions were more extensive and severe in quails inoculated at 1 or 3 weeks of age than in older quails. Large intranuclear inclusions, characteristic of adenovirus infection, were identified in trachea, lung, liver, and bursa of Fabricius. This is the first report of the histopathology of experimentally induced quail bronchitis.     

实验性新城疫雏鸡免疫器官的病理学研究

给２８日龄伊莎雏鸡人工接种新城疫病毒后，应用常规病理学检验、细胞化学和免疫组化技术对免疫器官的病理学变化作了研究。接毒１２ｈ，法氏囊滤泡的髓质、胸腺小叶的髓质、脾白髓、盲肠扁桃体的淋巴小结及弥散淋巴组织的部分淋巴细胞和网状细胞首先出现核浓缩、胞浆固缩等坏死变化。接毒１～３ｄ（潜伏期），骨髓、法氏囊滤泡、胸腺小叶、脾白髓和红髓、盲肠扁桃体粘膜层及弥散淋巴组织的淋巴细胞、巨噬细胞和网状细胞发生核浓缩、碎裂、胞浆固缩，强嗜酸性等坏死变化。接毒４～６ｄ死亡病例，这些免疫器官的淋巴组织散在呈蜂窝状空泡结构坏死灶（法氏囊为滤泡坏死），进一步崩解成无结构嗜酸性颗粒状物质。这些坏死变化可作为雏鸡新城疫诊断的根据。     

高致病力传染性法氏囊病野毒致弱株回传SPF鸡致病性的研究

vvIBDV致弱株经4周龄SPF鸡传代培养过程中,对接种鸡的法氏囊、胸腺、脾脏、盲肠扁桃体等免疫器官进行病理组织学检查,并分析主要免疫器官指数.发现随传代次数的增加,法氏囊和胸腺萎缩及脾脏肿大的程度逐渐加重;法氏囊、胸腺、脾脏和盲肠扁桃体内淋巴细胞崩解、坏死及脾脏内网状巨噬细胞增生的程度逐渐加深.试验结果表明,在传代过程中vvIBDV致弱株的毒力又逐渐恢复.