Clinical and Cytomorphological Studios on Bovine Leukosis

우백혈병의 임상 및 세포형태학적 연구

Clinical and cytomorphological studies were carried out in 32 leukotic cattle from Tokachi and Kushiro districts in Hokkaido during the 12 year period from 1969 to 1980. The leukotic cattle were examined :and divided into four types(15 cases of the adult, 11 cases of the thymic, 4 casas of the calf and 2 cases of the skin types). The results obtained were as follows : 1. As for the frequency of the main clinical signs in each type, In the adult type, the main clinical signs (of decreasing order) are as follows: swelling of the superficial lymph nodes>depression and loss of weight>tachycardia>anorekia, anemia of the visible mucous membrane and tachypnea. Those of the thymic type were swelling of the thymus>swelling of the medial iliac lymph nodes> swelling of the superficial lymph nodes>tachypnea. Those of the calf type were swelling of the auperficial lymph nodes>depression and emaciation>tachypnea>anorexia, tachycardia, anemia of the visible mucous membrane and recumbency. Those of the skin type were generalized urticaria-like lesions in skin and swelling of superficial lymph nodes>and depression and loss of weight in the decreasing order of frequency. In addition, large tumor mass in the pelvic cavity and swelling of the medial iliac lymph nodes were detected through rectal palpation in 33.3% and 100% in the adult type cases, respectively. 2. As for the hematological findings, The frequency of occurrence of decreased erythrocyte counts in the decreasing order were as follows : adult>calf>thymic>and skin types. The increase in the total leukocyte count in the order of decreasing frequency were as follows: calf>thymic>adult>and skin types. The increase in the absolute lymphocyte counts was found to be at a low rate, 62.5% of all the cases examined. By contrast, the increase of 5% or more of abnormal lymphocyte rates was observed at a high rate, 96.9% of the total cases. 3. Abnormal lymphocytes were found in all cases examined for lymph nodes biopsied. 4. From the cytomorphological point of view, leukotic cells were divided into 3 types: reticulum cell, lymphoid cell and monocytic cell types. The adult type leukotic cattle were divided with reticulum cell type (66.7%), the lymphoid cell type(22.6%) and monocytic cell type(6.7%). The thymic type was lymphoip cell type(72.7%) and reticulum cell type(27.3%). In the calf type, all were lymphoid cell type while all of the skin type were reticulum cell type only. 5. The leukotic cattle had higher NP frequency in the blood and lymphoid tissue than non-1 eukotic cattle. Especially the adult type had the highest NP frequency. However, it was not recognized that NP were characteristic of leukotic cattle alone. 6. The above findings lead to the conclusion that the most effective diagnostic methods for bovine leukosis are the confirmation of swelling of the superficial and internal lymph nodes and thymus in addition to appearance of abnormal neoplastic cell in the peripheral blood and lymph nodes biopsied.