Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection decreases the efficacy of an attenuated classical swine fever virus (CSFV) vaccine

ABSTRACT: The Lapinized Philippines Coronel (LPC) vaccine, an attenuated strain of classical swine fever virus (CSFV), is an important tool for the prevention and control of CSFV infection and is widely and routinely used in most CSF endemic areas, including Taiwan. The aim of this study was to investigate whether PCV2 infection affects the efficacy of the LPC vaccine. Eighteen 6-week-old, cesarean-derived and colostrum-deprived (CDCD), crossbred pigs were randomly assigned to four groups. A total of 105.3 TCID50 of PCV2 was experimentally inoculated into pigs through both intranasal and intramuscular routes at 0 days post-inoculation (dpi) followed by LPC vaccination 12 days later. All the animals were challenged with wild-type CSFV (ALD stain) at 27 dpi and euthanized at 45 dpi. Following CSFV challenge, the LPC-vaccinated pigs pre-inoculated with PCV2 showed transient fever, viremia, and viral shedding in the saliva and feces. The number of IgM+, CD4+CD8-CD25+, CD4+CD8+CD25+, and CD4-CD8+CD25+ lymphocyte subsets and the level of neutralizing antibodies against CSFV were significantly higher in the animals with LPC vaccination alone than in the pigs with PCV2 inoculation/LPC vaccination. In addition, PCV2-derived inhibition of the CSFV-specific cell proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was demonstrated in an ex vivo experiment. These findings indicate that PCV2 infection decreases the efficacy of the LPC vaccine. This PCV2-derived interference may not only allow the invasion of wild-type CSFV in pig farms but also increases the difficulty of CSF prevention and control in CSF endemic areas.     

Reduction of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection in swine alveolar macrophages by porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2)-induced interferon-alpha

Two common viral pathogens of swine, namely, porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), were investigated in regard to their effects on monolayer cultures of swine alveolar macrophages (AMs). The purpose was to identify selected cellular changes and responses potentially associated with the clinical reactions of pigs infected with either or both of these viruses. Measurements included the (1) absolute and relative numbers of infected, viable, and apoptotic cells; (2) distribution of viral antigens; (3) levels of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) produced and their association with the extent of virus-induced cytopathology. Four groups of AMs were studied, including mock-infected, PCV2 alone-infected (PCV2-A), PRRSV alone-infected (PRRSV-A), and PCV2 and PRRSV dually infected (PCV2/PRRSV) groups. The AMs of PCV2-A group had high antigen-containing rate without cell death. There was a marked increase in cell death and apoptosis in PRRSV-A group. However, a lower PRRSV-induced infectious rate, cell death, and apoptosis were seen in PCV2/PRRSV group. High levels of IFN-alpha production were detected in PCV2-infected groups, but not in mock-infected and PRRSV-A groups. The PRRSV-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) on MARC-145 cells or swine AMs was markedly reduced by pre-incubation of the cells with UV-treated or non-UV-treated supernatants of PCV2-infected AMs. In addition, the reduction in CPE was abolished when the supernatants of PCV2-infected AMs were pre-treated with a mouse anti-recombinant porcine IFN-alpha antibody. The results suggest that swine AMs were an important reservoir of PCV2; PCV2 infection reduced PRRSV infection and PRRSV-associated CPE in PCV2/PRRSV AMs; the reduction of PRRSV infection in AMs was mediated by IFN-alpha generated by PCV2 infection. The reduced PRRSV-associated CPE in AMs and increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production may lead to a more severe pneumonic lesion in those dually infected pigs.     

Experimental infection of 3-week-old conventional colostrum-fed pigs with porcine circovirus type 2 and porcine parvovirus

This report describes an experimental infection with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in combination with porcine parvovirus (PPV) in 3-week-old conventional colostrum-fed pigs with maternal antibodies to both viruses. Two groups of four pigs each were inoculated with PCV2 and PPV. One of the groups received also a commercial inactivated vaccine against porcine pleuropneumonia to evaluate possible effects of the stimulation of the immune system of pigs on the infection. Another group of four pigs was kept as uninfected control. Clinical signs, rectal temperatures and body weights were recorded. Serum antibody titers to PCV2 and PPV were determined at weekly intervals. Pigs were killed 42 days after inoculation and tissue samples were examined for the presence of gross and microscopic lesions. Tissues were also analyzed for the presence of PCV2 and PPV DNA by PCR, and for the presence of PCV2 antigen by immunohistochemistry (IHC). All the pigs had serum antibodies to PCV2 and PPV at the beginning of the trial. None of them developed clinical symptoms or pathological lesions typical of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), a disease associated to PCV2 infection. However, IHC and/or PCR analyses showed that clinically silent PCV2 infection developed in five of the eight inoculated pigs, regardless of the administration of the vaccine. In particular, PCV2 DNA and/or antigen were detected in most of the tissues examined in the two pigs with the lowest titer of maternal PCV2 antibodies at the beginning of the trial. PPV DNA was not detected in any of the samples examined. The five pigs with PCR and/or IHC evidence of PCV2 infection had a mean weight gain during the experiment lower than that of the inoculated PCR-negative pigs considered together and that of the control pigs. In conclusion, it would appear that passive immunity against PCV2 can play a role in preventing the development of PMWS, but is not able to prevent the establishing of clinically silent PCV2 infections. The dissemination and persistence of the virus in the tissues may depend on the level of PCV2 antibodies at the time of inoculation.     

PRRSV-VR2332减毒活疫苗不影响猪瘟疫苗和猪圆环病毒2型灭活疫苗诱导的抗体产生

本研究拟评估仔猪接种猪繁殖与呼吸综合征减毒活疫苗对猪圆环病毒病疫苗、猪瘟疫苗免疫的干扰情况,并分析不同免疫方式对仔猪生长性能的影响,以期为探究PRRSV减毒活疫苗与PCV2、CSF疫苗的联合免疫提供数据参考。本研究先以100头仔猪为研究对象,将其随机分为A、B、C、D 4组。其中A组仔猪免疫PRRSV减毒活疫苗7 d后免疫PCV2疫苗;B组仔猪同期分点注射PRRSV减毒活疫苗和PCV2疫苗;C组仔猪仅免疫PCV2疫苗;D组仔猪仅免疫PRRSV减毒活疫苗。另外再筛选100头仔猪,随机分为E、F、G、H 4组。E组仔猪于免疫PRRSV减毒活疫苗12 d后免疫CSF疫苗;F组仔猪同期分点注射PRRSV减毒活疫苗和CSF疫苗;G组仔猪仅免疫CSF疫苗;H组仔猪仅免疫PRRSV减毒活疫苗。免疫4周后,测定仔猪血清中相关抗体水平。同时,称量免疫前后各组仔猪的体重,计算不同免疫方案仔猪的平均日增重。结果表明：A~D组中, A组和B组仔猪在免疫4周后均产生了较高水平的PRRSV及PCV2抗体,且A组抗体水平略高于B组。C组仔猪仅产生了PCV2抗体,D组仔猪产生了较高水平的PRRSV抗体。E~H 4组中,E组和F组仔猪均产生了较高水平的PRRSV及CSFV抗体。G组仔猪仅产生了高水平的CSFV抗体,H组仔猪仅产生了高水平的PRRSV抗体。A、B、C、D 4组中B组仔猪的平均日增重最高;而E、F、G、H 4组中E组仔猪的平均日增重显著高于其他3组。PRRSV减毒活疫苗与PCV2疫苗或CSF疫苗同期分点免疫、免疫PRRSV减毒活疫苗一段时间后再免疫PCV2或CSF疫苗均能诱导仔猪产生高水平的抗体;在体液免疫方面,PRRSV减毒活疫苗免疫与否均未对另外二种疫苗表现出明显的干扰作用。在仔猪28日龄时同期分点免疫PRRSV减毒活疫苗与PCV2疫苗,12 d后再免疫CSF疫苗的免疫方案不仅能诱导仔猪产生高水平抗体,还可以使仔猪具备较高的平均日增重。     

Effect of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination on PCV2-viremic piglets after experimental PCV2 challenge

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccines on PCV2-viremic and -seropositive piglets born from naturally PCV2-infected sows against postnatal PCV2 challenge. The experimental design was aimed at mimicking commercial swine rearing conditions to evaluate the response of the PCV2 vaccine on PCV2-viremic and -seropositive piglets after experimental PCV2 challenge. PCV2a (or 2b)-viremic piglets received a PCV2 vaccine at 21 days of age followed by a PCV2b (or 2a) challenge at 49 days of age (28 days post vaccination). The PCV2 vaccines elicited a high level of humoral (as measured by immunoperoxidase monolayer assay and neutralizing antibody titers) and cellular (as measured by the frequency of PCV2-specific interferon-γ-secreting cells) immune response in the PCV2-viremic piglets after vaccination even in the presence of maternally derived antibodies (MDA). The initial infection of PCV2 in the pigs was not affected by PCV2 vaccination, however the challenging PCV2 was reduced by PCV2 vaccination on PCV2-viremic pigs. The results from this study demonstrate that the PCV2 vaccine used in this study is effective at reducing PCV2 viremia and lymphoid PCV2 DNA, even for PCV2-viremic pigs with passively acquired MDA at the time of vaccination.     

猪圆环病毒2型疫苗研究进展

猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)感染后会导致断奶仔猪多系统衰竭综合征(PMWS)等"猪圆环病毒相关疾病"(PCVADs),给全球养猪业造成了巨大的经济损失。疫苗免疫是防控该病的有效手段,近年来市场上推出了PCV2灭活疫苗、嵌合疫苗和亚单位疫苗。PCV2变异较快,主要临床流行毒株从PCV2b逐渐演变为PCV2d,现有商业化疫苗免疫效果需进一步研究证实。论文就近年来国内外PCV2传统疫苗、新型基因工程疫苗、PCV2疫苗与其他疫苗联合免疫的研究进展进行综述,旨在为猪圆环病毒相关疾病的防控及疫苗的开发与利用提供参考。     

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination reduces PCV2 in a PCV2 and Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis coinfection model

We previously reported that prior porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection potentiates the severity of clinical signs, lung lesions, and fecal shedding and tissue dissemination of Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis in infected pigs. Here, we evaluated whether PCV2 vaccination is effective in reducing fecal shedding and tissue dissemination of S. Choleraesuis and improving clinical signs associated with PCV2 and S. Choleraesuis infection in 15 Cesarean-derived, colostrum-deprived pigs randomly assigned to 3 groups (n = 5/group). The vaccinated and co-infected (VAC-COINF) group received 2 ml of a commercial PCV2 vaccine at age 3 weeks. The VAC-COINF and co-infected (COINF) groups were inoculated intranasally with PCV2 and S. Choleraesuis at 5 and 7 weeks of age, respectively. The CONTROL group pigs received a similar volume of PBS for sham-vaccination and sham-inoculation. PCV2 vaccination clearly reduced PCV2 DNA load in the serum and postmortem tissue samples and decreased PCV2 antigen levels in tissue samples of the VAC-COINF group. After S. Choleraesuis infection, the incidence of several clinical signs increased in the VAC-COINF group compared to that in the COINF group. The microscopic lung lesions and weight gain, fecal shedding and tissue dissemination of S. Choleraesuis except in the spleen were not significantly different in the VAC-COINF and COINF groups. Thus, PCV2 vaccination reduced PCV2 in the S. Choleraesuis and PCV2 coinfection model and the effects on S. Choleraesuis were minimal.     

猪瘟病毒-猪圆环病毒2型疫苗联合免疫效果的评价

为建立一种既有效又简便的猪瘟和猪圆环病毒病疫苗联合免疫方法,通过细胞感染试验和动物免疫试验,评价了猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)灭活疫苗和猪瘟病毒(CSFV)冻干活疫苗联合免疫的可行性。通过细胞感染试验证明了PCV2灭活疫苗稀释CSFV冻干活疫苗不影响CSFV疫苗的病毒活性;将PCV2灭活疫苗稀释的CSFV冻干活疫苗免疫试验猪群(联合免疫),以2种疫苗分边单独免疫的猪群为对照,在免疫后4、7、14、28、60和90 d采集血清检测2种疫苗对应的抗体,经统计学分析发现,2种疫苗的联合免疫不影响其抗体的产生,并且能够保持抗体在猪群个体间的稳定分布。     

One dose of a porcine circovirus 2 subunit vaccine induces humoral and cell-mediated immunity and protects against porcine circovirus-associated disease under field conditions

This study investigated the efficacy of a one-dose porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) subunit vaccine based on the PCV2 Cap protein expressed in a baculovirus system on two different farms at which a history of porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVD) was present. Morbidity, mortality, average daily weight gain, carcass weight, PCV2 load in serum and vaccine immunogenicity were assessed. Serology to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae was performed. A double-blind, randomised, and controlled field trial was performed distributing 818 piglets between two treatment groups. At inclusion (weaning at 21 ± 3 days of age), 408 animals (group B) received a 2-mL intramuscular dose of Porcilis PCV(?) (vaccinated group). Controls (group A, 410 pigs) received 2 mL of the adjuvant Diluvac Forte(?) intramuscularly. Weights were recorded at inclusion and at 12 and 26 weeks of age, and the average daily weight gain (ADWG) was calculated. The carcass weights of the pigs from farm 2 were recorded at slaughter (274 days old). All dead animals (died or culled) underwent autopsy to classify them as PMWS-affected or not. At each farm, blood samples were taken from 22 pigs/group for serologic studies. A beneficial effect was found after vaccination with a single dose of a PCV2 Cap vaccine against PCVD. The vaccination reduced the mortality rate and morbidity, reduced PCV2 viremia and viral load, improved productive performances (e.g. ADWG: +70 g/day between 12 and 26 weeks of age when viremia and the specific disease occurred) as well as carcass weight at slaughter age (+4.5 kg). These effects were associated with virologic and clinical protection from the immunogenicity of the vaccine measured as activation of both a humoral and a cellular immune response.     

Immunopathological effects of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) on swine alveolar macrophages by in vitro inoculation

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the primary causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), a multifactorial disease, in pigs. Monocyte/macrophage lineage cells, including alveolar macrophages (AMs), are the major target cells for PCV2. Swine AMs are essential for the pulmonary defense system against various pathogens. Concurrent infection of lung with opportunistic pathogens in pigs suffered from PMWS is speculated as a feature of immunosuppression. The present study was conducted to characterize the effects of PCV2 inoculation on swine AMs in the in vitro system. The parameters selected for evaluation included PCV2 antigen- and nucleic acid-containing rate, viability, TUNEL-positive rate, phagocytosis, microbicidal capability, and capacity for production of reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion, O₂⁻, and hydrogen peroxide, H₂O₂), cytokines, and chemokines. High intracytoplasmic PCV2 antigen- and nucleic acid-containing rate, absence of intranuclear signals for PCV2 antigen and nucleic acid, and lack of noticeable cell death were seen in PCV2-inoculated AMs. The PCV2-inoculated AMs displayed a transient as well as persistent reduction in the up-take and destruction of Candida albicans, respectively, accompanied by decrease in the production of O₂⁻ and H₂O₂. In PCV2-inoculated AMs, the levels of tumor necrosis- (TNF-) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were significantly increased; the mRNA expression levels of alveolar macrophage-derived neutrophil chemotactic factors-II (AMCF-II), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and IL-8 were strongly up-regulated. The reduced phagocytosis and microbicidal capability in conjunction with decreased production of reactive oxygen species in PCV2-inoculated AMs suggest that PCV2-containing AMs may favor the survival and spread of PCV2. It is speculated that the functional alterations observed in PCV2-containing AMs may be potentially harmful to the lung tissue and local pulmonary defense system, especially in those PCV2-infected pigs conditioned by various PMWS development-dependent co-factors.