Hemagglutinin Antibody Response of Normal and Aleutian Disease-Affected Mink to Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin

Abstract

Abstract After injection of Aleutian disease (AD) virus into mink homozygous for the Aleutian gene, the amount of serum γ globulin steadily increased and the amount of serum albumin decreased early in the disease and remained relatively stationary thereafter. Alterations in the α and β globulin concentrations were inconsistent. AD virus suppressed the primary antibody response of normal mink inoculated with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). This suppression began at about the time the serum γ globulin levels of mink inoculated with AD virus started to increase and was consistent, whether KLH was injected before or concomitantly with AD virus. When the primary injection of KLH was given before or concomitantly with AD virus, an excellent anamnestic response occurred in AD-affected mink. Antibody responses to KLH in mink affected with AD at the time of primary stimulation were extremely poor. The mink most severely affected at the time that they were inoculated with KLH gave the poorest primary and anamnestic responses.