DEFECTIVE FUNCTION OF LEUKOCYTES FROM CATTLE PERSISTENTLY INFECTED WITH BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA VIRUS, AND THE INFLUENCE OF RECOMBINANT CYTOKINES

Cattle persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus have decreased neutrophil and lymphocyte functions. We reevaluated these functions and further characterized the inhibition of persistent BVD virus infection in neutrophils, using sensitive kinetic assays. In addition, the influence of in vitro incubation of neutrophils with recombinant bovine interferon gamma (rBoIFN gamma) and in vitro incubation of lymphocytes with recombinant bovine interleukin-2 was evaluated. Significant (P < 0.05) decrease in random migration under agarose, Staphylococcus aureus ingestion, cytochrome-C reduction, iodination, antibody-independent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, oxidant production, and cytoplasmic calcium flux were observed in neutrophils from cattle persistently infected with BVD virus, compared with noninfected control cattle. Incubation of neutrophils from noninfected controls with rBoIFN gamma significantly (P < 0.05) decreased random migration under agarose, cytochrome-C reduction, and cytoplasmic calcium flux. Neutrophils from cattle persistently infected with BVD virus also had decreased random migration under agarose after incubation with rBoIFN gamma; in addition, antibody-independent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, elastase release, and cytoplasmic calcium flux were significantly enhanced. The rBoIFN gamma induced significantly (P < 0.05) different effects on chemotaxis, cytochrome-C reduction, iodination, and cytoplasmic calcium flux of neutrophils from infected and control cattle. The rBoIFN gamma was more effective at improving the function of neutrophils from cattle persistently infected with BVD virus, compared with neutrophils from controls. Lymphocytes from infected cattle had decreased blastogenesis in response to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen. Incubation of those lymphocytes with recombinant bovine interleukin-2, with no mitogen present, significantly (P < 0.05) increased incorporation of [H-3]thymidine. However, the response of lymphocytes to mitogen stimulation was not significantly increased by the presence of recombinant bovine interleukin-2, indicating that depression of in vitro lymphocyte blastogenesis in the cattle persistently infected with BVD virus is not attributable to decreased production of interleukin-2.