Lymphocytopenia in Rabbits Following Intravenous Injection of Influenzal Virus

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Abstract
Summary: The intravenous injection of allantoic fluid infected with the viruses of influenza Types A or B into rabbits led within a short period of time (3 hours) to a marked lymphocytopenia which lasted several hours. The decrease in lymphocytes amounted to more than 70 per cent of the original count in the average of 50 rabbits thus treated. The lymphocytopenic effect of infected allantoic fluids could not be separated from the virus particle by centrifugation and was type-specifically neutralized by rabbit immune sera. Lymphocytopenia of a similar extent was obtained also by the injection of the virus of mumps, rough pneumococci and nucleoproteins derived from hemolytic streptococci. The administration of normal allantoic fluid, horse blood or immune or normal rabbit sera was without effect on the lymphocytes. The lymphocytopenia was not accompanied by an anamnestic reaction in rabbits previously immunized with certain antigens. The granulocytes exhibited unaltered phagocytic activity. These data are discussed in the light of the alarm reaction.