title: Pro-inflammatory and antiviral cytokine expression in vaccinated and unvaccinated horses exposed to equine influenza virus.
abstract: Most studies of the cytokine response to influenza virus infection have been carried out in human, porcine and murine models, however the data available on equine cytokines is limited. An experimental challenge study was undertaken in unvaccinated naïve horses and horses vaccinated with a commercial inactivated influenza vaccine. The humoral antibody response to vaccination and virus challenge was measured by single radial haemolysis (SRH) assay and clinical signs of influenza and viral shedding were monitored post-challenge. Levels of three equine pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and the antiviral cytokine interferon (IFN)-alpha were examined by quantitative RT-PCR of mRNA. Vaccination provided significant clinical and virological protection and resulted in a significant reduction of IFN-alpha and IL-6 expression on day 2 post-challenge. The patterns of cytokine expression observed in control animals suffering from influenza after challenge are comparable to those reported in studies of other species.
authors.affiliation: Virology Unit, Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quinlivan
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nelly
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prendergast
authors.forename: Cormac
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breathnach
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horohov
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arkins
authors.forename: Yu-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Hsien-Jue
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cullinane
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D006736:Horses; D005779:Immunodiffusion / Q000379:methods; D053123:Influenza A Virus, H3N8 Subtype / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011897:Random Allocation; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000276:immunology; D017201:Virus Shedding