Lymphoreticular Proliferative Disease in Mink Homozygous for the Aleutian Gene

Summary A lymphoreticular proliferative disease of unknown cause was observed in mink homozygous for the autosomal recessive Aleutian gene. Mink of this genotype are regarded as the animal counterpart of children affected with the Chediak-Higashi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that frequently terminates in a lymphoma-like condition. These parallel findings emphasize the potential value of such mink, not only in defining the defect underlying this syndrome but also in assessing the role of a genetically defective host-defense system in the genesis of lymphoma or lymphoma-like cellular proliferation.