The effect of the beige mutation on infection with murine cytomegalovirus: histopathologic studies

The tissue damage induced by murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) in mice with the beige mutation (bg/bg) and in their normal littermates (bg/ +) was investigated. The beige mutation in mice is a homolog of the Chédiak-Higashi syndrome in man, and various dysfunctions of phagocytes and decreased activity of natural killer cells have been demonstrated in these animals. Tissue damage, especially in the liver and spleen, was more conspicuous in bg/bg than in bg/ + mice and was associated with frequent intranuclear inclusions and a higher titer of virus. However, the mutation did not appear to alter the organ distribution of tissue damage induced by MCMV. The inflammatory response in the liver, which is presumed to contribute to host resistance, appeared under certain circumstances to be delayed and deficient in bg/bg mice.