Effect on the fetus of maternal infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus.

Abstract

In colonies of mice carrying lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus, individuals are infected before birth, either as eggs in the ovary or as early embryos [1]. The infection is basically noncytopathic, and the carrier mice show partial immune tolerance [2] with infection of all tissues throughout life. When normal mice are infected neonatally there is a similar persistent tolerant infection [3]. If mice are injected extraneurally with LCM virus there is a systemic infection, formation of antibody, and usually survival. Traub [4] showed that primary infection with LCM virus during pregnancy led to infection of newborn mice. But there have been no investigations of the pathogenesis of such infection or of the influence of the maternal immune response. Such studies are reported here.