M. V. Petropavlovskiy, A. P. Poryvaeva, N. A. Bezborodova, O. Yu. Oparina, A. G. Isaeva, A. I. Belousov, A. S. Badretdinova
Ural Federal Agrarian Research Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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Volume 26 No. 2
Date of paper submission: 07.10.2025, date of review: 13.12.2025, date of acceptance: 12.01.2026.
Published: 02/28/2026
Abstract. Bovine leukosis is a widespread chronic infectious disease that causes significant economic damage to modern animal husbandry. This article investigates the pathogenetic and immunobiological characteristics of the pathological process caused by dominant strains of the bovine leukemia virus. The purpose of the study was to study the features of pathological changes in the immune reactivity of cattle infected with the genotype G4 bovine leukemia virus, across different forms of the infection. Scientific novelty. New data have been obtained covering the immunobiological and pathogenetic characteristics of bovine leukosis. Methods. Clinical observations and sampling were carried out in agricultural organizations specializing in cattle breeding in the territory of the Russian Federation. Immunohematological, serological, biochemical, and cultural studies were conducted; molecular genetic analysis; amplification of a 444 bp fragment of the env gene and its sequencing. Results. The immunohematological status and biochemical profile were determined in cows with the aleukemic and subleukemic stages of leukosis caused by the genotype G4 bovine leukemia virus. It was found that in the group of seropositive animals, the aleukemic stage of the disease was detected in 22.9 % of the cows. It was shown that, regardless of the stage of the pathological process, impairments of the bone marrow hematopoietic function are characterized by the absence of young granulocyte forms and an imbalance in the cellular-structural composition of the leukocyte pool. In 85.7 % of animals, against a background of increased lymphoid cell proliferation, impairments in the differentiation of the T- and B-cell compartments were diagnosed. Bioinformatic analysis of Sanger sequencing results from biological samples of the studied animals revealed genotype-associated amino acid substitutions in the glycoprotein structure: arginine to histidine at position 121 (R121H) and lysine to arginine at position 150 (K150R). Conclusions. New data covering the immunobiological and pathogenetic characteristics of bovine leukosis have been obtained. Addressing the challenges of ensuring the biological well-being of farm animals requires expanding and detailing the database on pathological changes in emergent infections. This will allow not only for a more precise characterization of the immunobiological properties of pathogens but also for the improvement of treatment, prevention, and eradication programs, as well as for forecasting the risks of their emergence.
Keywords: epizootic process, cattle, leukemia virus, immunohematological and biochemical markers, genetic type
Acknowledgements. The study was carried out as part of State Assignment No. 0532-2021-0007.
For citation: Petropavlovskiy M. V., Poryvaeva A. P., Bezborodova N. A., Oparina O. Yu., Isaeva A. G., Belousov A. I., Badretdinova A. S. Characterization of the leukemic process in BLV infection based on the amino acid polymorphism of the pathogen and a complex of immuno-biochemical criteria in cattle. Agrarian Bulletin of the Urals. 2026; 26 (02): 329‒339. https://doi.org/10.32417/1997-4868-2026-26-02-329-339 (In Russ.)
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