Influence of Enzootic Bovine Leukosis Virus in the immunological response of naturally infected animals

• Grant number: 05/00643-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2006
• End date: October 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Alice Maria Melville Paiva Della Libera
• Grantee: Alice Maria Melville Paiva Della Libera
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL) is a neoplasic, contagious, multi-symptomatic, chronic disease that compromises lymphoid organs of these animals. It is related to the development of persistent lymphocytosis (PL) and lymphosarcoma and contributes for a lesser production, either because of its direct harmful effects, or because of the indirect ones. Besides all researches on PL, its effects on the function and/or the amount of different subpopulations of circulating lymphocytes, as well as its role on the estabilishment of other oportunistic diseases, is still barely known. Based on the hypotesis that BLV alters the function and the amount of subpopulations of circulating lymphocytes, and, thus, influences the quality of immune response, the present study will avaluate the quantitative alterations of different subpopulations of circulating lymphocytes of naturally infected Holstein cows. It will also avaluate quantitative alterations of different classes of antibodies after antigenic chalenge with foot and mouth disease vaccination, cellular proliferation and death, and serum IL-10, IL-12, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha concentrations, in different stages of infection. (AU)