MONOCLONAL CYTOPLASMIC IMMUNOGLOBULIN AND PATHOMORPHOLOGICAL REACTIONS IN LYMPH-NODES IN SPONTANEOUS BOVINE LEUKEMIA-VIRUS INFECTION

Prescapular lymph nodes from 109 cows seropositive to bovine leukemia virus (BLV) were examined for the presence of light chains of bovine immunoglobulin (Ig) kappa or lambda. A variety of reactions were present in prescapular lymph nodes, including B-zonal hyperplasia (23 cases, 21.1%), T-zonal hyperplasia (52 cases, 47.7%), mixed hyperplasia (18 cases, 16.5%), pulp proliferation (six cases, 5.5%), and atrophy (ten cases, 9.2%). In the case of pulp proliferation the immunohistological examination identified only Ig of a single light chain type lambda. The possible relationship of a monoclonal expression of Ig and development of tumorous proliferation is discussed in the study.