Antibody production against BLV-p24 in calves following application of cell extracts from tumorous lymph nodes of cattle with enzootic bovine leukosis.

In the cell extract from tumorous lymph nodes of bovine leukosis virus (BLV)-infected cattle (tumour cell extract) and from lymph nodes of BLV-free cattle (control cell extract) neither the gp51 nor the p24 antigens were detectable. The tumour cell extract contained receptors for the BLV antigens gp51 and p24. The immunogenicity of the cell extracts was tested in calves. All calves treated with the tumour cell extract developed antibodies against p24 but not against gp51. Administration of the control cell extract, in contrast, induced no antibodies against p24.