Adenovirus-induced immune complexes in ovine fetuses

The formation of immune complexes (IC) was studied in 60- to 70-day-old ovine fetuses experimentally infected with adenovirus. The PEG-6000-precipitated, circulating IC appeared in the blood stream of fetuses between days 5 and 10 postinfection (PI), and persisted there even to PI day 19. Using anti-IgG and anti-IgM conjugate, the complexes were demonstrable by immunofluorescence (IF) and also in the lung, spleen and kidney tissues on day 19, however, the complexes failed to react to an anti-complement C3 serum. The histopathological changes seen in the organs allow us to conclude that the IC might play an important role in the pathogenesis of fetopathies.