Immunofluorescence and histologic studies of virus-induced murine lymphocytic leukemias

Mice were inoculated with either the lymphatic leukemia virus associated with Friend and Rauscher viruses or with the Graffi or BALB/Tennant leukemia viruses. A total of 48 leukemic mice were examined histologically and by immunofluorescence. All four viruses induced a histologically similar disease that particularly involved tha thymus-dependent lymphoid regions. Lymphocytes from the spleens and thymuses of leukemic animals were examined for Thy-1 antigen and immunoglobulins on the cell surface; all the leukemias were composed of T- cells and/or nonreactive cells lacking both the Thy-1 antigen and immunoglobulins. By immunofluorescence, the spleen and thymus from the same leukemic animal frequently showed different cell-surface markers, though no morphologic differences were seen in leukemias involving the different classes of lymphocytes.