Preliminary Observations on Spontaneous and Radiation-Induced Leukemia in Germfree Mice.

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Abstract
Summary Germfree ICR and RF mice X-irradiated in a single exposure to 300-900 R have been observed for leukemia for periods up to 10 months after irradiation, along with nonirradiated controls. Preliminary data indicate that the cumulative incidence of leukemia in the irradiated germfree mice is as high as, or higher than, in the irradiated conventional mice. The incidence is higher in both irradiated groups than in the unirradi-ated germfree and conventional controls, which do not differ in spontaneous leukemia incidence. All leukemias examined thus far histopathologically have been lymphosarco-mas. Tissues of a germfree RF mouse with X-ray-induced leukemia contained tailed “virus-like” particles similar to those noted in conventional mice and associated with transmission of the disease. Both germfree and conventional mice with leukemia showed renal glomerulosclerosis. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of D. M. Robie, E. I. Mynatt, and E. Teeter for maintenance and surveillance of the gremfree colony, J. G. Vi-drine for preparation of the centrifuge pellets, and F. L. Ball for preparation of the samples for electron microscopic examination. The authors also wish to thank Drs. L. Murphy, R. Holdenried, and J. Parker for examining some of the sera for viral antibodies and for supplying us the necessary reagents.