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Medical Definition of Avian leukaemia-sarcoma complex
1. A term applied to a group of transmissible virus-induced diseases of chickens causing sarcoma, myeloblastosis, erythroblastosis, leukosis, osteopetrosis, and lymphomatosis. These agents are closely related viruses (avian leukosis-sarcoma virus) causing prolferation of immature erythroid, myeloid, or lymphoid cells, a division of the RNA tumour viruses (subfamily Oncovirinae) causing the avian leukosis-sarcoma complex of diseases; the viruses are subgrouped according to antigenic characteristics and growth in defined types of tissue culture cells. Synonym: avian erythroblastosis virus, avian leukosis-sarcoma virus, avian lymphomatosis virus, avian myeloblastosis virus, avian sarcoma virus, fowl erythroblastosis virus, fowl lymphomatosis virus, fowl myeloblastosis virus. (05 Mar 2000)