Effect of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus infection on expression of interleukin-16 in goats.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) infection on expression of interleukin-16 (IL-16).


METHODS
6 goats experimentally infected with CAEV and 6 age-matched healthy uninfected control goats.


METHODS
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and synovial membrane cells from infected and control goats cultured with or without phytohemagglutinin were analyzed for IL-16 mRNA by use of a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay with goat-specific primers, after cloning and sequencing of a 384-bp fragment of the goat IL-16 gene. Synovial fluid, serum, and culture supernatants of PBMCs and synovial cells of control and CAEV-infected goats were analyzed for IL-16 by use of an ELISA.


RESULTS
The 384-bp product was 86% homologous to the corresponding human IL-16 nucleotide sequence. Higher expression of IL-16 mRNA in PBMCs (unstimulated or stimulated with phytohemagglutinin) was detected in samples from CAEV-infected goats, compared with control goats, but the difference was not significant. Synovial membrane cells infected in vitro had higher expression than uninfected control cells. Higher IL-16 concentration was detected in synovial fluid, serum, and culture supernatants of PBMCs of infected goats than in samples from control goats.


CONCLUSIONS
infection with CAEV increases expression of IL-16, a proinflammatory and chemotactic cytokine. This cytokine appears to be constitutively expressed at low concentrations in normal uninfected PBMCs and synovial membrane cells. Increased production of IL-16 in CAEV infection may partly be responsible for increased lymphoid cell infiltrations observed in arthritic joints and other tissues of CAEV-infected goats.
Sharmila
C
C
Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine Tuskegee University, AL 36088, USA.
Williams
John W
JW
Reddy
P Gopal
PG
D000818:Animals; D016088:Arthritis-Encephalitis Virus, Caprine / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006041:Goats / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D019410:Interleukin-16 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000235:genetics*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D019410:Interleukin-16; D012333:RNA, Messenger