Mouse AIDS (MAIDS) induced in C57BL/6 mice by infection with a replication-defective retrovirus (Du5H) combines extensive lymphoproliferation and profound immunodeficiency. Although B cells are the main target of viral infection, recent research has focused on CD4(+) T cells, the activation of which is a key event in MAIDS induction and progression. A preliminary observation of increased expression of B7 molecules on B cells in MAIDS prompted us to address the possible involvement of the CD28/B7 costimulatory pathway in MAIDS. Mice infected with the MAIDS-inducing viral preparation were treated with murine fusion protein CTLA4Ig (3 x 50 microg/week given intraperitoneally), a competitive inhibitor of physiological CD28-B7 interactions. In CTLA4Ig-treated animals, the onset of the disease was delayed, lymphoproliferation progressed at a much slower rate than in untreated mice, and the loss of in vitro responsiveness to mitogens was reduced. Relative expression of Du5H did not differ between treated and untreated animals. These results suggest that the CD28/B7 costimulatory pathway contributes to MAIDS development.