[Use of cell agglutination with concanavalin A to detect cattle infected with the leukemia virus]

The method of cell agglutination with concanavalin 'A' was employed to study lymphocytes from the peripheral blood of cattle spontaneously infected with the virus of leukosis. The infection in the animals was demonstrated through the agar gel immunodiffusion test based on the presence of antibodies. As controls served lymphocytes of normal cattle that were serologically and clinically negative for leukosis as well as lymphocytes, of cattle that were immunized with the virus of the mucous disease and with adeno-, rota, and parainfluenza-3 viruses. It was found that 10(6) lymphocytes of cattle infected with the leukosis virus was agglutinated by concanavalin 'A' used at the rate of 500-2000 microgram/cm3, while the same amount of lymphocytes of normal animals or animals that were immunized against the other viruses got agglutinated by concanavalin 'A' at 4000-8000 g/cm3.