[Characteristic features of experimental influenza in mice--long-term presence of viral antigens in the spleen].

The process of long-term preservation of virus antigens outside the main infection focus, which is currently one of the most topical problems, has been studied. The virus antigens were found to be present in the spleen of F1/CBA X C57Black/6 mice during 4-5 weeks following their infection with A/PR/8/34/HIN1 influenza virus. Immunoblotting assay findings showed hemagglutinin, a large hemagglutinin subunit, and a protein of the influenza virus nucleoprotein to be present in the splenocytes. The antigen-carrier splenocytes are target-cells in the reaction of antibody- and complement-dependent cytotoxic lysis and also for the effectors of natural and virus-specific cell-mediated cytotoxicity during no less than 14 days. This is an indirect evidence of the membranous localisation of the virus antigens.