Aleutian mink disease: puzzles and paradigms

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Immunology
• Pathology

Background:

• Aleutian mink disease (AD) is a persistent parvovirus infection in mink caused by the Aleutian mink disease parvovirus (ADV).
• The classical form of AD involves high antibody titers, hypergammaglobulinemia, plasmacytosis, immune complex disease, and progressive renal pathology.
• ADV infection in newborn kits causes fatal interstitial pneumonitis, which can be altered by antiviral antibody treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the pathogenesis of Aleutian mink disease.
• To understand the cellular mechanisms of ADV replication and immune response in mink and cell lines.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of ADV infection in adult and newborn mink, including clinical signs, antibody titers, and renal pathology.
• In vitro studies using mink primary macrophages and the U937 human macrophage cell line to assess ADV replication and cytokine production.
• Measurement of interleukin-6 levels in lymph node culture supernatants from infected mink.

Main Results:

• ADV infection leads to immune complex deposition in lymphoid organs, with limited viral replication in macrophages and follicular dendritic cells.
• ADV infection of macrophages is antibody-dependent and induces the production of interleukin-6.
• Elevated interleukin-6 levels were observed in lymph node cultures from infected mink.

Conclusions:

• Chronic interleukin-6 production, stimulated by ADV infection, may contribute to the development of the immune disorder in Aleutian mink disease.
• Understanding the interplay between ADV, host immune response, and cytokine production is crucial for managing this disease.