[Isolation and identification of avian leukosis virus-B from layer chickens infected with avian leukosis virus-J].

Two strains of Avian leukosis virus subgroup B (ALV-B) were isolated for the first time in China Hy-line White on the cultured DF-1 cells which were inoculated tissue samples from by an ELISA assay, a histopathology examination and a PCR-based diagnosis. The results from the ELISA assay indicated that the positive rate of serum antibodies to ALV-B and ALV-J virus were 16.3% (15/92) and 13% (12/92), respectively. The histopathological examination indicated that two types of tumor cells existed at same focus in liver and spleen, which mainly were myelocytoma cells and lymphosarcoma cells. The PCR-based diagnosis were performed as follows: the cellular DNA was extracted from the inoculated DF-1 cells; the specific fragments of 1100 bp and 924 bp were obtained by a PCR system with the diagnostic primers of ALV-B and ALV-J; and the PCR results for ALV-A, MDV and REV were all negative. Then, the amplified fragments of the two ALV-B stains were partially sequenced and shown an identity of 92.8%,94.7% with the prototype strain of ALV-B (RSV Schmidt-ruppin B). The identities of two ALV-J strains with the prototype strain HPRS-103 at 96.9%, 91.5%; The identities of two ALV-J strains with the American prototype strain at 85.9%, 81.5%. Our study had shown that ALV-B was isolated for the first time from the ALV-J infected commercial layer flocks in China. It also indicated that the chance of genetic recombination among various subgroups of ALV was increased.