Aleutian disease

disease, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and others. Similar mechanisms may occur in AD and in persistent viral infections of man. The lesions in AD are immunologically mediated, as are those in such human diseases as SLE. The arteritis that develops is also immunologically mediated and is probably similar to that occurring in some cases of polyarteritis nodosa in man.

Problems Needing Solutions

The AD agent has not been propagated in vitro or in animals other than the mink and ferret. This prohibits characterization of the agent and other pertinent research. The mechanisms of viral persistence have not been explained and the role of the cellular immune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of AD have not been investigated.

Potential or Demonstrated Usefulness of the Model

This model represents a readily reproducible viral disease with immunologically mediated lesions that can be used to elucidate mechanisms of host- virus interaction in viral persistence and the induction of multisystem disease by immunologic means.

Availability

Diseased animals are readily available from commercial mink farms anywhere in the United States. Moreover, the disease is readily reproducible.

References

1.	Hartsough CR, Gorham JR: Aleutian disease in mink. Nati Fur News 28:10—11,

1956

2.	Obel AL: Studies on a disease of mink with systematic proliferation of the plasma

cells. Am J Vet Res 20:384, 1959

3.	Helmboldt CF, Jungherr EL: The pathology of Aleutian disease in mink. Am J Vet

Res 19:212—22, 1958

4.	Henson JB, Leader RW, Gorham JR, Padgett GA: The sequential development of

lesions in spontaneous Aleutian disease of mink. Pathol Vet 3:289—314, 1966

5.	Henson JB, Corham JR, Tanaka Y, Padgett GA: Sequential development of ultra-

structural lesions in the glomeruli of mink with experimental Aleutian disease. Lab Invest 19: 153—62, 1968

6.	Henson JB, Gorham JR, Padgett GA, Davis WC: Pathogenesis of the glomerular

lesions in Aleutian disease of mink: immunofluorescent studies. Arch Pathol 87:21— 28, 1969

7.	Henson JB, Crawford TB, Corham JR: Unpublished data

8.	Henson JB, Gorham JR. Leader RW, Wagner BM: Experimental hypergammaglob

ulinemia in Mink. J Exp Med 116: 357—364, 1962

9.	Porter DD, Larsen AE, Porter HG: The pathogenesis of Aleutian disease of mink.

I.	Viral replication and the host antibody response to viral antigen. J Exp Med

130:575—593, 1969

10.	Padgett GA: Aleutian disease virus replication in mink of different genotypes. Fed

Proc 28:2384, 1969

11.	McGuire TC, Crawford TB, Henson JB, Corham JR: Aleutian disease of mink:

Detection of large quantities of complement-fixing antibody to viral antigen. J

Immunol 107:1481—1482, 1971

12.	Porter DD, Larsen AE: Virus-host interactions in Aleutian disease of mink, Perspec

tives in Virology, Vol 6. Edited by M Pollard. New York, Academic Press, Inc, 1968, pp 173—187

13.	Porter DD, Dixon Fj, Larsen AE: The development of a myeloma-like condition in

mink with Aleutian disease. Blood 25:736—42, 1965a

14.	Cheema A, Henson jB, Corham jR: Aleutian disease of mink: prevention of lesions

by immunosuppression. Am J Pathol 66:543—552, 1972