title: Cardiovascular lesions in pigs naturally or experimentally infected with porcine circovirus type 2.
abstract: Abundant intracytoplasmic porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) was associated with myocardiocyte swelling or necrosis, or myocardial fibrosis (or both) in three naturally infected pigs aged 4-7 weeks from three different farms. One 6 week old pig from a fourth farm had severe diffuse segmental to circumferential lymphohistiocytic and plasmacytic periarteritis and endarteritis in several organs, PCV2 antigen was demonstrated in endothelial cells, and inflammatory cells in the arterial walls. In three pigs experimentally infected with PCV2, viral antigen was also associated with obliterated blood vessels in areas of granulomatous and necrotizing lymphadenitis. Together these findings suggest that the cardiovascular system in general and endothelial cells in particular play an important role in the pathogenesis of PCV2-associated diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 1600 South 16th Street, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Opriessnig
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Janke
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Halbur
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017209:Apoptosis; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology*; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000473:pathology*; D018173:Circoviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D017925:Circovirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009336:Necrosis; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral