title: Toll-like receptors, IFN-γ and IL-12 expression in bovine leukemia virus-infected animals with low or high proviral load.
abstract: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection is widespread mainly in dairy cattle and 5-10% of infected animals will die due to lymphosarcoma; most cattle remain asymptomatic but 30% develop persistent lymphocytosis (PL). BLV transmission depends on infected cell exchange and thus, proviral load is determinant. Understanding the mechanisms which govern the control of viral dissemination will be desirable for the design of effective therapeutic or preventive strategies for BLV. The development of high proviral load (HPL) or low proviral load (LPL) might be associated to genetic factors and humoral immune responses, however cellular responses are not fully described. We aimed to characterize cytokines and toll-like receptors (TLR) expression related to the proviral load profiles. IFN-γ and IL-12 mRNA expression level was significantly higher in PBMC from infected cattle (LPL n=6 and HPL n=7) compared to uninfected animals (n=5). While no significant differences were observed in IL-12 expression between LPL and HPL group, IFN-γ expression was significantly higher in LPL animals. Infected cattle exhibited higher expression levels of TLR3, 7-9. Animals with HPL had significantly higher expression of TLR7/8 than uninfected cattle. TLR8 and TLR9 were up-regulated in HPL group, and TLR3 was up-regulated in LPL group. This is the first report related to TLR gene expression in BLV infected cattle and represents evidence of the involvement of these receptors in BLV recognition. Further studies on different subpopulations of immune cells may help clarify their role in response to BLV and its consequences on viral dissemination.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN, CONICET-CICPBA), Facultad de Cs. Veterinarias, UNCPBA, Paraje Arroyo Seco s/n, 7000 Tandil, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Victoria Nieto
authors.initials: MVN
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN, CONICET-CICPBA), Facultad de Cs. Veterinarias, UNCPBA, Paraje Arroyo Seco s/n, 7000 Tandil, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pamela Anahí
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lendez
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce, Ruta 226 Km 73.5, 7620 Balcarce, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Maia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Análisis Fares Taie, Rivadavia 3331, 7600, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quintana
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN, CONICET-CICPBA), Facultad de Cs. Veterinarias, UNCPBA, Paraje Arroyo Seco s/n, 7000 Tandil, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martínez-Cuesta
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN, CONICET-CICPBA), Facultad de Cs. Veterinarias, UNCPBA, Paraje Arroyo Seco s/n, 7000 Tandil, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Carolina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ceriani
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN, CONICET-CICPBA), Facultad de Cs. Veterinarias, UNCPBA, Paraje Arroyo Seco s/n, 7000 Tandil, Argentina. Electronic address: gdolcini@vet.unicen.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Guillermina Laura
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Dolcini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics; D016583:Enzootic Bovine Leukosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine / Q000502:physiology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D011533:Proviruses; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019562:Viral Load; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Bovine leukemia virus; IFN-γ; Proviral load; Toll-like receptors