title: PCV2 vaccination induces IFN-γ/TNF-α co-producing T cells with a potential role in protection.
abstract: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is one of the economically most important pathogens for swine production worldwide. Vaccination is a powerful tool to control porcine circovirus diseases (PCVD). However, it is not fully understood how PCV2 vaccination interacts with the porcine immune system. Especially knowledge on the cellular immune response against PCV2 is sparse. In this study we analysed antigen-specific T cell responses against PCV2 in a controlled vaccination and infection experiment. We focused on the ability of CD4(+) T cells to produce cytokines using multicolour flow cytometry (FCM). Vaccination with a PCV2 subunit vaccine (Ingelvac CircoFLEX®) induced PCV2-specific antibodies only in five out of 12 animals. Conversely, vaccine-antigen specific CD4(+) T cells which simultaneously produced IFN-γ and TNF-α and had a phenotype of central and effector memory T cells were detected in all vaccinated piglets. After challenge, seroconversion occurred earlier in vaccinated and infected pigs compared to the non-vaccinated, infected group. Vaccinated pigs were fully protected against viremia after subsequent challenge. Therefore, our data suggests that the induction of IFN-γ/TNF-α co-producing T cells by PCV2 vaccination may serve as a potential correlate of protection for this type of vaccine.
authors.affiliation: University Clinic for Swine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. hanna.koinig@vetmeduni.ac.at.|Institute of Immunology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. hanna.koinig@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Hanna C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Koinig
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. stephanie.talker@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Stephanie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Talker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. maria.stadler@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stadler
authors.affiliation: University Clinic for Swine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. andrea.ladinig@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ladinig
authors.affiliation: University Clinic for Swine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. robert.graage@uzh.ch.|Current address: Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. robert.graage@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Graage
authors.affiliation: University Clinic for Swine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. M.Ritzmann@lmu.de.|Current address: Clinic for Swine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. M.Ritzmann@lmu.de.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ritzmann
authors.affiliation: University Clinic for Swine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. isabel.hennig-pauka@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hennig-Pauka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. wilhelm.gerner@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gerner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. armin.saalmueller@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saalmüller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D018173:Circoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D017925:Circovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000662:veterinary; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load / Q000662:veterinary; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014766:Viremia / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D007371:Interferon-gamma