Inhibition of concanavalin A stimulation of feline lymphocytes by inactivated feline leukemia virus.

In a lymphocyte blast transformation assay, the response of feline lymphocytes to concanavalin A was suppressed 20 to 65 percent in the presence of inactivated feline leukemia virus. The decrease was not due to viral cytotoxicity, as determined by trypan blue viability counts, nor was the virus binding the concanavalin A and interfering with its mitogenic stimulation. The virus may be biochemically repressive in itself, interfering with cell-mediated immunity within the feline system.