title: Evaluation of hemostaseological status of pigs experimentally infected with African swine fever virus.
abstract: African swine fever is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease of pigs caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). Hemorrhages are the most frequently reported lesions in acute and subacute forms of ASF. Hemorrhagic lesions are accompanied by impaired hemostasis, which includes thrombocytopenia and changes in the coagulation system. In the present study, experimental infection was conducted to elucidate whether a highly virulent ASFV genotype II circulating in the Trans-Caucasus and Eastern Europe affects the hemostasis of infected pigs. Platelet count changes and platelet size, as well as coagulation parameters were evaluated upon experimental infection. In contrast to other ASFV strains, ASFV genotype II showed a significant decrease in the number of platelets from 3rd dpi onwards. Furthermore, a decrease in platelet size was observed throughout the entire period of experiment. A significant increase in the number of platelet aggregates was observed from the beginning of infection. Unlike other ASFV strains, ASFV genotype II induced a slight shortening of an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) throughout the experiment. Thrombin time (TT) was prolonged from day 5 onwards, whereas no changes in prothrombin time (PT) were found upon infection. The level of d-dimers was permanently higher than in control with a peak on day 3 post-infection. ASFV induced a significant decrease in the level of fibrinogen from day 5 till the end of experiment. Thus, it can be concluded that ASFV genotype II isolated in Armenia affects the hemostasis of infected pigs and causes changes that differ from that of other ASFV strains described previously.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Hovakim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zakaryan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karalova
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia; Scientific Center of Stock Breading and Veterinary RA, P.O. Box 0071, Nubarashen Sarahat 2, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Voskanyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Zarine
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ter-Pogossyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Narek
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nersisyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Astghik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hakobyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saroyan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia. Electronic address: z_karalyan@mb.sci.am.
authors.forename: Zaven
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Karalyan
mesh_terms: D000357:African Swine Fever / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D000358:African Swine Fever Virus / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D001399:Azure Stains; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000502:physiology; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time / Q000662:veterinary; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000662:veterinary; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013552:Swine; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D001399:Azure Stains; D005340:Fibrinogen
keywords: Coagulation; Hemostasis; Platelet; Thrombocytopenia