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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #244549
Title: Cytokine Expression in the Tracheobronchial Lymph Nodes of Pigs Infected with Pseudorabies Virus

Author
item Miller, Laura
item ZANELLA, ERALDO - Universidad De Passo Fundo
item Waters, Wade
item Lager, Kelly

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/27/2009
Publication Date: 12/5/2009
Citation: Miller, L.C., Zanella, E.L., Waters, W.R., Lager, K.M. 2010. Cytokine protein expression levels in tracheobronchial lymph node homogenates of pigs infected with pseudorabies virus [abstract]. Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases. Paper No. 71P.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is a neurotropic alphaherpesvirus that produces fatal encephalitis in newborn pigs, respiratory disorders in fattening pigs and reproductive failure in sows. Infection of the respiratory tract by PRV, involves mononuclear cells in draining tracheobronchial lymph nodes (TBLN) which can enter the bloodstream resulting in restricted viremia. The objectives of this study were to determine innate immune cytokine profiles in tracheobronchial lymph nodes following experimental infection with PRV and compare the profiles to those of uninfected controls at 1, 3, 6 and 14 days post-infection (d.p.i.). Forty conventionally raised 4-5 week old pigs, free of clinical disease, were purchased from a PRV-negative herd. Twenty were inoculated with the Florida strain isolate (FS 268) of feral swine PRV and 20 control pigs were inoculated with spent media. In TBLN homogenates, protein expression levels of interferon (IFN) -alpha, interleukin (IL) -1beta, and IFN-gama were positively correlated with the severity of pulmonary pathology observed at 1 d.p.i. in the PRV infected pigs. There was also a significant inverse correlation between PRV infection in TBLN homogenates with the level of IL-18 protein expressed between 1 to 6 d.p.i. Examination of the immune response to infection with PRV has revealed important information about the porcine immune system.