Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
METABOLISM AND FUNCTION OF GAMMA GLOBULIN IN ALEUTIAN DISEASE OF MINK.
- Journal:
- The Journal of experimental medicine
- Year:
- 1965
- Authors:
- PORTER, D D et al.
Plain-English summary
In mink affected by Aleutian disease, a condition that causes a significant increase in certain proteins called gamma globulins, researchers found that these proteins are produced more quickly than normal. They did not find any evidence that these proteins were antibodies fighting an infection or responding to the disease itself. Instead, the increased gamma globulins were linked to a specific type of immune cell activity triggered by the Aleutian disease virus. The study also suggests that the damage to blood vessels in these mink might be directly caused by the virus or could be related to the high levels of gamma globulin. Overall, the findings indicate that the disease is primarily driven by the virus rather than an immune response.
Abstract
Aleutian disease-affected mink, which are markedly hypergammaglobulinemic, show a decreased half-life of the serum gamma globulin indicating that the hyperglobulinemia is due to increased production. No evidence that the gamma globulin was antibody to the infectious agent, to autologous or isologous tissues, or to antigens the animal was responding to prior to development of the disease was obtained. The increased gamma globulin was found to be of the 6.4S variety, and gamma globulin containing protein-protein complexes of 9S to 17S and 22S to 25S classes were observed in serums of affected mink. The findings are most consistent with the Aleutian disease virus acting as a direct and somewhat selective stimulus to plasma cell proliferation. There is no evidence that the arterial and glomerular lesions of Aleutian disease have an immunologic pathogenesis. It seems possible that these vascular changes may be directly caused by the viral agent, or may be the result of the increased gamma globulin levels.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14319405/