Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2012
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most devastating and costly diseases to the swine industry worldwide. Overall, the adaptive immune response to PRRS virus (PRRSV) is weak, which results in delayed elimination of virus from the host and inferior vaccine protection. PRRSV has been shown to induce a meager alpha interferon (IFN-α) response, and we hypothesized that elevated IFN-α levels early in infection would shorten the induction time and increase elements of the adaptive immune response. To test this, we measured both antibody and cell-mediated immunity in pigs after the administration of a nonreplicating human adenovirus type 5 vector expressing porcine IFN-α (Ad5–pIFN-α) at the time of PRRSV infection and compared the results to those for pigs infected with PRRSV alone. Viremia was delayed, and there was a decrease in viral load in the sera of pigs administered the Ad5–pIFN-α. Although seroconversion was slightly delayed in pigs receiving Ad5–pIFN-α, probably due to the early reduction in viral replication, little difference in the overall or neutralizing antibody response was seen. However, there was an increase in the number of virus-specific IFN-γ-secreting cells detected in the pigs receiving Ad5–pIFN-α, as well as an altered cytokine profile in the lung at 14 days postinfection, indicating that the presence of IFN-α at the time of infection can alter innate and adaptive immune responses to PRRSV.
Publication Title
Clinical and Vaccine Immunology
Volume
19
Issue
4
First Page
508
Last Page
514
Pages
7
Type
text
Language
en
DOI of Published Version
10.1128/CVI.05490-11
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Rights
Copyright © 2012, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Recommended Citation
Brockmeier, S.L., C.L. Loving, E.A. Nelson, L.C. Miller, T.L. Nicholson, K.M. Register, M.J. Grubman, D.E. Brough and M.E. Kehrli. 2012. Effects of interferon-α on the immune response to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology 19:508-514.
Included in
Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology Commons, Veterinary Pathology and Pathobiology Commons