Mitogen- and viral antigen-induced transformation of lymphocytes from normal mink and from mink with progressive or nonprogressive Aleutian disease.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from mink with progressive Aleutian disease (AD) were shown to be significantly less responsive to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen than were PBL from normal mink and from mink with a nonprogressive form of AD. Response to the virus of AD was significantly greater in PBL cultures from mink with nonprogressive AD than in those from normal mink or mink with progressive AD. After experimental infection with AD virus, mink PBL were responsive to viral antigen only transiently. These findings suggest that lymphocyte responsiveness as indicated by transformation induced by mitogens or viral antigen may be an important aspect of host response to infection with the parvovirus of AD.