Immunosuppression-Induced Susceptibility of Inbred Hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) to Lethal-Disease by Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infection
Abstract
The role of the immune response in the pathogenesis of lethal and non-lethal lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)-infections of young adult Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus of different strains was examined using immunosuppressive treatment with cyclophosphamide or with whole-body gamma-irradiation. In all hamsters, the LCMV strains, WE and Armstrong (ARM), caused systemic infections and induced comparable serum LCMV-antibody titers. However, lethal wasting-disease occurred which was hamster-strain and virus- strain dependent. With WE-inocula, MHA and PD4 inbred hamsters were all susceptible to lethal-disease and failed to completely eliminate infection. All LSH and CB inbred hamsters resisted lethal-disease and totally cleared WE- infection. Random colony-bred LVG hamsters and inbred LHC hamsters were intermediate in We-susceptibility; some died with wasting, while others survived with minimal to no illness. ARM was avirulent for all hamsters and infections were totally cleared. By immunosuppressive treatment, all hamsters were rendered completely susceptible to lethal-disease by WE, and had unresolved infections and diminished serum LCMV-antibody titers. Immunosuppressive also rendered all hamster strains partially susceptible to lethal infection by ARM. The hamster immune response was thus shown to suppress LCMV-infection and protect against lethal illness.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA192904
Entities
People
- C. J. Peters
- E. V. Genovesi
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases