Figure 6.

Schematized summary of proliferation rates, proviral loads and lymphocytosis associated with primo-infection. Sheep, which were experimentally infected with BLV wild type or mutant proviruses (virus inoculation), exhibited a similar extent of transient accumulation of B-lymphocytes (—). This transient lymphocytosis arising just before seroconversion is at least partially due to an increase in B cell proliferation (peak of B cell proliferation •••••). In contrast, the proviral loads greatly differ among the two categories of sheep, e.g. infected with wild type (- - -) or attenuated viruses (— ••).