Skip to main content
PMC home page
Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2004 Sep 23;92(2):199–211. doi: 10.1016/0021-9975(82)90078-0

The pathogenesis of nephritis in chickens induced by infectious bronchitis virus

KT Chong 1,∗, K Apostolov 1
PMCID: PMC7130387  PMID: 6282945

Abstract

Nephritis in chickens caused by infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) was studied by virological, histological and electron microscopical methods. The T strain of the virus caused only mild respiratory signs in both Rhode Island Red (RIR) and White Leghorn (WL) breeds; the 50 per cent mortality induced was due to acute nephritis. All the infected birds developed high titres of antibody to IBV for up to 30 weeks. In spite of the persistence of antibody, about 35 per cent of the RIR developed chronic progressive nephritis. The histology showed varying degrees of pathological changes in the tubules, with relatively unaffected glomeruli. Foci of mononuclear cell infiltration were prominent in the cortex and medulla, particularly in chronic nephritis. Cytoplasmic IBV immunofluorescence was found in all segments of the tubules, but not in the glomeruli. There was no evidence of virus replication in the caecal tonsil and bursa of Fabricius. Evidence of extensive coronavirus replication was found in the cells of the tubules. A large number of viral inclusion bodies as seen containing dark smooth particles 120 nm in diameter within a single membrane. Virus was readily recovered from the kidneys as well as faeces of birds with acute and chronic nephritis. It is concluded that direct virus-induced cell lysis is the primary cause of IBV nephritis. In addition, about 50 per cent of the chronically infected birds also developed brush-border auto-antibody.

References

  1. Alexander D.J., Chettle N.J. Procedures for the haemagglutination and the haemagglutination inhibition tests for avian infectious bronchitis virus. Avian Pathology. 1977;6:9–17. doi: 10.1080/03079457708418208. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Alexander D.J., Gough R.E. Isolation of avian infectious bronchitis virus from experimentally infected chickens. Research in Veterinary Science. 1977;23:344–347. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Alexander D.J., Gough R.E., Pattison M. A long-term study of the pathogenesis of infection of chickens with three strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus. Research in Veterinary Science. 1978;24:228–233. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cumming R.B. The aetiology of “uraemia” of chickens. Australian Veterinary Journal. 1962;38:554. [Google Scholar]
  5. Cumming R.B. Infectious avian nephrosis (uraemia) in Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal. 1963;39:145–147. [Google Scholar]
  6. Jensen M.M. Viruses and kidney disease. American Journal of Medicine. 1967;43:897–911. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(67)90248-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Julian R.J., Willis N.G. The nephrosis-nephritis syndrome in chickens caused by Holte strain of infectious bronchitis virus. Canadian Veterinary Journal. 1969;10:18–25. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Morrison W.I., Wright N.G. Viruses associated with renal disease of man and animals. Progress in Medical Virology. 1977;23:22–50. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Notkins A.L. Immune mechanisms by which the spread of viral infections is stopped. Cell Immunology. 1974;11:478–483. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(74)90045-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Oshiro L.S., Schieble J.H., Lennette E.H. Electron microscopic studies of coronavirus. Journal of General Virology. 1971;12:161–168. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-12-2-161. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pincherle G. Services for patients with chronic renal failure in England and Wales. Health Trends. 1977;9:41–44. [Google Scholar]
  12. Pohl R. The histopathogenesis of the nephrosis-nephritis syndrome. Avian Pathology. 1974;3:1–13. doi: 10.1080/03079457409353810. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Porter D.D. Persistence of viral infections in the presence of immunity. In: Notkins A.L., editor. Viral Immunology and Immunopathology. Academic Press; London: 1975. pp. 189–200. Chapter 11. [Google Scholar]
  14. Purcell D.A., Tham V.L., Surman P.G. The histopathology of infectious bronchitis in fowls infected with a nephrotropic “T” strain of virus. Australian Veterinary Journal. 1976;52:85–91. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1976.tb13864.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Siller W.G., Cumming R.B. The histopathology of an interstitial nephritis in the fowl produced experimentally with infectious bronchitis virus. Journal of Pathology. 1974;114:163–173. doi: 10.1002/path.1711140309. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sissons J.G.P. Immunology of renal disease. Glomerulonephritis. Medicine, 2nd series. 1975;6:256–260. [Google Scholar]
  17. Smith R.D., Aquino J. Viruses and the kidney. Medical Clinics of North America. 1971;55:89–106. doi: 10.1016/s0025-7125(16)32545-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Spector W.G. HM Stationery Office; London: 1951. The nature of fowl nephritis. (ARC Special Report. Series No. 11). [Google Scholar]
  19. Utz J.P. Viruria in man: an update. Progress in Medical Virology. 1974;17:77–90. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Winterfield R.W., Hitchner S.B. Etiology of an infectious nephritis-nephrosis syndrome of chickens. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 1962;23:1273–1279. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Winterfield R.W., Hitchner S.B., Appleton G.S. Immunological characteristics of a variant of infectious bronchitis virus isolated from chickens. Avian Diseases. 1964;8:40–47. [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Comparative Pathology are provided here courtesy of Elsevier

RESOURCES