Lymphocytes T and B in rabbits infected with RHD virus

The aim of this study was to determine the differences in immunological response of animals infected with different antigenic variants of the virus – three haemagglutinating (Vt97, Triptis, Hartmannsdorf) and two non-haemagglutinating (Pv97, 9905 RHDVa). The specific immunological response was measured by the dynamics of changes in the amount of lymphocytes T (with CD5+, CD4+, CD8+, CD25+ receptor) and B (with CD19+ receptor). The study showed differences in immunogenicity of the analysed RHDV antigenic variants, which allowed them to be divided into groups of: more immunogenic strains, including non-haemagglutinating 9905 RHDVa and haemagglutinating Vt97 and Triptis variants; and less immunogenic strains, including the haemagglutinating Hartmannsdorf variant and the non-haemagglutinating Pv97 variant. Such a result may indicate that the agglutination capacity of red blood cells might not be a factor impacting the number of T and B lymphocytes.