Pathogenesis of aleutian disease of mink: nature of the antiglobulin reaction and elution of antibody from erythrocytes and glomeruli of infected mink.

Erythrocytes from mink chronically infected with Aleutian disease virus (ADV) gave positive antiglobulin reactions with rabbit anti-mink immunoglobulin (Ig)G, anti-mink C3, and anti-mink serum, but did not react with anti-mink IgM. The strongest reaction was observed with anti-mink C3. Immunoelectrophoresis demonstrated that serum from rabbits injected with erythrocytes from ADV-infected mink gave a precipitin line with normal mink serum in the beta globulin region corresponding to C3. When normal mink erythrocytes were exposed to serum from ADV-infected mink, they were not sensitized, demonstrating that the antibodies in these mink sera were not directed against erythrocyte antigens. Glycine-hydrochloride buffer treatment of erythrocyte stromata and isolated glomeruli from ADV-infected mink yielded eluates containing serum proteins in the gamma globulin region which appeared to be IgG, and in the beta and alpha globulin regions which are probably complement components. In both erythrocyte and glomerular eluates, anti-ADV antibody was demonstrated. These findings suggested that the positive direct antiglobulin test and glomerulonephritis in Aleutian disease is due to the persistence of ADV and formation and deposition of ADV antigen-antibody-complement complexes on the erythrocyte surfaces and in glomerular capillaries.