Evidence that B-lymphocytes carry the nuclear pocket abnormality associated with bovine leukemia virus infection: brief communication

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 3 cows with persistent lymphocytosis were separated on nylon wool columns into nylon wool adherent and nonadherent populations. The percentage of cells coated with surface immunoglobulin (B cells) and the frequency of lymphocytic nuclear pockets in each subpopulation were then determined. In each case the adherent population consisted predominantly of B cells with an increased nuclear pocket frequency, whereas the nonadherent cells were 98.99% negative for surface immunoglobulin (non B cells) and contained essentially no nuclear pockets. These findings provided additional evidence that the B subpopulation of cells was highly involved in bovine leukemia oncogenesis.