Genetic polymorphism of IgG in the mink. 7. Expression of the C gamma-allotypes in domestic mink infected with the Aleutian disease virus.

The Aleutian disease (AD), i.e., viral plasmocytosis in mink can be used as a model of the natural development of immune complex pathology in man. The immunogenetic aspect of AD was studied with the help of genetic markers of the constant region of the mink immunoglobulin gamma-heavy chain (the C gamma allotypes H2, H3, H4, H6, H7 and H8). The frequencies of 2 of the 6 allotypes, H3 and H4, were significantly higher in the AD-infected than in normal minks from the same population. This supports and extends the data in the literature indicating that the frequencies of certain human Gm allotypes are significantly higher among patients with multiple sclerosis, some oncological and other diseases compared with normal humans. Individual testing of 110 adult Standard minks before and after artificial inoculation with the AD virus demonstrated that change in allotype frequencies results from the activation of the expression of H3 and/or H4 in many individuals. The obtained results make it possible to consider the regulation of the expression of the two CH genes of immunoglobulins as allotype-specific.