title: Cytokine expression, glucocorticoid and growth hormone changes after porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV-1) infection in vaccinated and unvaccinated naturally exposed pigs.
abstract: The objective of this paper was to study the changes of some cytokines and neuroendocrine hormones in vaccinated and unvaccinated pigs that were naturally infected by a PRRSV-1 (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus) heterologous field strain. We analyzed gene expression of pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP-1, IL-6), pro-immune (IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in PBMC, as well as hormonal (GH and cortisol) levels in blood samples of pigs obtained in a field trial previously reported [Martelli P, Gozio S, Ferrari L, Rosina S, De Angelis E, Quintavalla C, et al. Efficacy of a modified-live porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vaccine in pigs naturally exposed to a heterologous European (Italian cluster) field strain: clinical protection and cell-mediated immunity. Vaccine 2009;27:3788-99]. All vaccinated pigs showed an increase in pro-inflammatory and pro-immune cytokine gene expression with respect to controls and a prompt increase in GH that could be consistently associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines in sustaining innate immunity; moreover, the higher levels of cortisol indicates the activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response. In contrast, unvaccinated pigs showed down-regulation of the cortisol and GH responses, and the pro-inflammatory and pro-immune cytokines remained at a basal or low level, with an increase of TNF-α and IL-6 in association with a higher level of IL-10 in the late phase of natural infection. The associated trends of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines together with the cortisol level demonstrate that a previous vaccination promotes an early immune responsiveness in pigs and a more efficient control of inflammation in the late phase of infection with a heterologous PRRSV isolate; both events could sustain clinical protection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, University of Parma, Italy. paolo.borghetti@unipr.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borghetti
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saleri
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morganti
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bottarelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D019318:Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D019316:Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus / Q000276:immunology; D013552:Swine; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D013006:Growth Hormone