title: Pathogenesis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-induced increase in susceptibility to Streptococcus suis infection.
abstract: Eighty 3-week-old crossbred pigs were randomly assigned to six groups (13-14 pigs/group). Group 1 pigs served as uninoculated controls, group 2 pigs were inoculated intranasally (i.n.) with Streptococcus suis serotype 2, group 3 pigs were inoculated i.n. with a modified live porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vaccine, group 4 pigs were inoculated i.n. with the same vaccine and with S. suis, group 5 pigs were inoculated i.n. with VR-2385 (a high-virulence strain of PRRSV), and group 6 pigs were inoculated i.n. with VR-2385 and S. suis. Pigs exposed to both PRRSV and S. suis were inoculated with PRRSV 7 days prior to S. suis inoculation. The pigs were 26 days old when inoculated with S. suis. Respiratory disease was significantly more severe in groups 5 and 6. Mortality rate was the highest in group 6 (87.5%). This rate was significantly higher than that observed in all other groups except group 4 (37.5%). The mortality rate in group 2, inoculated with S. suis alone, was 14.3%. No pigs from groups 1, 3, or 5 died prior to the scheduled necropsies at 10 and 28 days postinoculation with PRRSV (DPI). To study the effect of PRRSV and/or S. suis on pulmonary clearance by pulmonary intravascular macrophages, six pigs from each group were intravenously infused with 3% copper phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid in saline prior to necropsy at 10 DPI. Mean copper levels in the lungs of pigs in groups 2, 5, and 6 were significantly lower than those in control pigs. The mean percentage of lung tissue grossly affected by pneumonia at 10 DPI was 0%, 1%, 0%, 3%, 64%, and 62% for groups 1-6, respectively. Both gross and microscopic interstitial pneumonia lesions were significantly more severe in the VR2385-inoculated groups (5 and 6). PRRSV was isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid collected at necropsy from 100% of the pigs in groups 5 and 6, 71.4% of pigs in group 4, 38.5% of pigs in group 3, and none of the pigs in groups 1 or 2. Streptococcus suis serotype 2 was cultured from the internal tissues of 7.7%, 28.6%, and 78.6% of the pigs in groups 2, 4, and 6, respectively. Streptococcus suis serotype 2 was isolated from whole blood at necropsy from 7.7%, 35.7%, and 78.6% of pigs in groups 2, 4, and 6, respectively. Significantly more pigs in group 6 had S. suis isolated from whole blood and internal tissues. In summary, both high-virulence PRRSV and S. suis decreased copper clearance, and the incidence of isolation of S. suis and PRRSV was higher in dually inoculated pigs. PRRSV-induced suppression of pulmonary intravascular macrophage function may in part explain PRRSV-associated increased susceptibility to S. suis infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thanawongnuwech
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Halbur
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Royer
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Thacker
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001831:Body Temperature; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage / Q000662:veterinary; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000821:virology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D007211:Indoles / Q000737:chemistry; D007794:Lameness, Animal; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D019318:Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D019316:Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017011:Streptococcus suis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013552:Swine; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007211:Indoles; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D014765:Viral Vaccines; C015445:copper phthalocyanine