Foot-and-mouth disease virus in the llama (Lama glama): diagnosis, transmission, and susceptibility

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) was shown to be transmitted from either cattle to llamas, llamas to swine (interspecies), or llamas to llamas (intraspecies). Response to FMDV varied greatly in the 6 llamas studied; 3 llamas developed generalized clinical disease with mild pyrexia, 2 after intradermolingual inoculation, and 1 after exposure to a calf infected with FMDV serotype A24. Another contact llama developed vesicular lesions on all 4 extremities but no oral lesions. Two contact llamas, in separate study groups, did not seroconvert or develop clinical signs of FMDV infection. All 4 llamas showing clinical disease developed virus-neutralizing antibodies against FMDV A24 and antibodies against the virus-infection-associated antigen. Virus-neutralizing antibody titers remained elevated for over 200 days postinoculation or exposure. Antibodies to virus-infection-associated antigen were detected several days after virus-neutralizing antibody appeared and became weaker 100-125 days post-FMDV exposure in 3 of the 4 clinically affected llamas. One inoculated llama was still positive for virus-infection-associated antigen at 360 days after inoculation. Foot-and-mouth disease virus A24 was not detected from esophageal-pharyngeal fluid specimens beyond 8 days postexposure using in vitro techniques.     

Kinetics of immune response to foot-and-mouth disease virus (type Asia 1) in experimental cattle

Humoral and mucosal (secretory antibody)immune response to FMDV type Asia 1 in cattle was analyzed after vaccination and infection using virus neutralizing test (VNT). Vaccination (1/16th the usual dose) failed to protect cattle from generalized clinical disease following experimental FMDV Asia 1 infection. Our results showed that infection induced higher and prolonged serum antibody titres indicating antigen mass is important for optimal immune response. Experimental FMDV infection induced significant secretory antibody (mucosal) response in cattle. Though, there was no difference in the serum antibody response between the cattle that developed generalized infection (unprotected) and those with only localized infection (protected), secretory antibody response differed, wherein the unprotected cattle had higher secretory response than protected cattle. Thus, FMDV Asia 1 infection stimulates a similar serum antibody response and a unique secretory antibody response among the infected cattle. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Reconstitution of immunosuppression mice with mononuclear cells from donors sensitized to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV)

Passive transfer experiments were performed to serve as a basis for analyzing the immune response of adult mice to FMDV infection. Animals were irradiated (750 rad: 1 lethal dose 50%) and reconstituted with allogeneic mononuclear cells from blood, spleen, thymus and peritoneal cavity from donors 2 and 8 days post-inoculation (p.i.). Donors were primed with 10 000 suckling mouse 50% lethal doses of FMDV strain O1 Campos. The following parameters were studied in recipient mice challenged with 10 000 suckling mouse 50% lethal doses of the same virus: (1) viremia; (b) FMDV neutralizing antibody titres; (c) sheep red blood cell (SRBC) hemagglutinating antibody titres. Viremia was substantially prolonged in irradiated control mice, which did not produce detectable antibodies to FMDV or SRBC. In contrast, the span of viremia was markedly shorter in animals reconstituted with cells obtained 8 days p.i. and its eclipse coincided with the onset of neutralizing antibody production. An equally efficient antibody response to the inoculation of SRBC was observed in these animals. No effect was detected after the transfer of cells obtained 2 days p.i. It is concluded that the humoral immune response plays a predominant role in the recovery from FMDV experimental infection in adult mice.     

新城疫病毒感染绵羊诱导免疫应答反应的实验研究

为探索新城疫病毒(NDV)作为羊病毒病疫苗载体的可行性,验证NDV感染绵羊的可能性,本研究采用NDV Clone-30株分别通过滴鼻和气管灌注两种途径接种绵羊,接种后观察临床症状,检测接种动物排毒情况,通过血凝抑制试验检测接种绵羊特异性血凝抑制抗体,ELISA试验检测接种绵羊血清特异性IgG抗体,微量中和试验检测接种绵羊血清中和抗体.研究结果表明,NDV在绵羊体内是非致病性的,并且通过两种接种途径在绵羊体内均可以产生血凝抑制抗体、NDV特异性IgG抗体和中和抗体反应.本研究结果表明NDV有可能作为宿主限制性疫苗载体用于预防无特效疫苗的羊类疾病,且与气管灌注接种途径比,滴鼻接种途径相对安全.     

Porcine interferon-gamma protects swine from foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV)

Porcine interferon-gamma (PoIFN-gamma) fused with glutathione S-transferase (GST) was expressed in Escherichia coli BL(21). Twenty 6-week-old piglets were randomly assigned to four groups. Pigs in groups 1-3 were pretreated with 30 mg, 20 mg, and 10 mg recombinant PoIFN-gamma (rPoIFN-gamma), respectively. Pigs in group 4 (control) were pretreated with GST expressed by the empty plasmid. At 48h postinoculation (hpi), all swine were challenged with FMDV (serotype O). Pigs pretreated with 30 mg rPoIFN-gamma were completely protected from virulent FMDV attack. Pigs given 20 mg rPoIFN-gamma achieved partial protection, and the unprotected piglets showed clinical signs from 68h postchallenge (hpc). Although 10 mg rPoIFN-gamma did not confer protection against FMDV, the pigs pretreated with this dose of rPoIFN-gamma presented clinical signs from 35 hpc, which was later than the control group (14 hpc). These results indicate that PoIFN-gamma can protect swine against attack from FMDV or delay the appearance of clinical signs; the effect is dose dependent.     

Exercise alters the immune response to equine influenza virus and increases susceptibility to infection.

Equine influenza virus remains a major health concern for the equine industry in spite of ongoing vaccination programmes. Previous work has shown that the immune system of horses can be affected by strenuous exercise. The possible adverse consequence of exercise-induced alterations in lymphocyte responses measured in vitro was unknown. Here we demonstrate that subjecting vaccinated ponies to a 5 day strenuous exercise programme results in a significant suppression of their T cell-mediated immune response to equine influenza virus as measured by decreased lymphoproliferation and gamma interferon production measured in vitro. These same ponies also demonstrated increased susceptibility to influenza disease following a challenge exposure to the same strain of virus. Rested ponies that had received the same vaccine and challenge were completely protected from disease. Our results demonstrate that exercise-induced suppression of the equine immune response to influenza virus can be associated with an increased susceptibility to disease.     

Proteomics analysis of porcine serum proteins by LC-MS/MS after foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection

To analyze serum proteomics differences between normal and foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV)-infected piglets, an analytical method based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used. Samples of venous blood were collected before and after FMDV infection and high abundance serum albumin was removed using a commercial kit. After trypsin digestion, serum samples were processed with LC-MS/MS. Proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting. We found that apolipoprotein A-IV precursor, haptoglobin and probable chemoreceptor glutamine deamidase cheD appeared after FMDV infection in the same piglet. This is believed to be the first time that serum proteomics analysis by LC-MS/MS after FMDV infection has been performed, and our results may provide further information about biomarkers for early diagnosis of FMD in piglets.     

口蹄疫病毒免疫学研究进展

口蹄疫病毒(FMDV)是小RNA病毒科、口蹄疫病毒属成员,其感染后引起的口蹄疫是一种严重危害畜牧业发展的传染病,并对经济发展、国家声誉及国际关系造成重要影响.论文就FMDV的主要抗原位点、FMDV的细胞受体、机体对FMDV抗原的免疫反应、FMDV抗原的变异与进化等做一综述.     

Induction of lymphopenia and inhibition of T cell function during acute infection of swine with foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV)

Foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a picornavirus that causes an acute vesicular disease of cloven-hoofed animals. This virus continues to be a threat to livestock worldwide with outbreaks causing severe economic losses. The present study shows an analysis of immune system phenotype and function during the acute phase of FMDV infection in swine. In the first days of infection, a significant lymphopenia is observed that involves all T cell subsets, CD4(+), CD8(+), and CD4(+)/CD8(+). This marked lymphopenia is not a result of active infection of PBMC with the virus. Further, the response of residual peripheral blood T cells to the mitogen, Concanavalin A (ConA) is significantly reduced and occasionally eliminated. Animals usually resolve clinical signs of disease and develop antigen specific T cell responses to the virus and recover ConA reactivity. These characteristics of acute phase infection likely play an important role in viral pathogenesis, propagation and shedding of viral particles and may be targeted as a way of improving vaccine formulations.     

Infection with foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) induces a natural killer (NK) cell response in cattle that is lacking following vaccination

Natural killer (NK) cells play a role in innate antiviral immunity by directly lysing virus-infected cells and producing antiviral cytokines such as interferon gamma (IFN-γ). We developed a system for characterizing the bovine NK response to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), which causes a disease of cloven-hoofed animals and remains a threat to livestock industries throughout the world. IL-2 stimulation of PBMC resulted in poor killing of human K562 cells, which are often used as NK target cells, while lysis of the bovine BL3.1 cell line was readily detected. Depletion of NKp46-expressing cells revealed that 80% of the killing induced by IL-2 could be attributed to NKp46⁺ cells. In order to characterize the response of NK cells against FMDV in vivo, we infected groups of cattle with three different strains of the virus (A24 Cruzeiro, O1 Manisa, O Hong Kong) and evaluated the cytolytic ability of NK cells through the course of infection. We consistently observed a transient increase in cytolysis, although there was variation in magnitude and kinetics. This increase in cytolysis remained when CD3⁺ cells were removed from the preparation of lymphocytes, indicating that cytolysis was independent of MHC-T cell receptor interaction or γδ T cell activation. In contrast, animals monitored following vaccination against FMDV did not exhibit any increase in NK killing. These data suggest that NK cells play a role in the host immune response of cattle against FMDV, and contrast with the suppression of NK activity previously observed in swine infected with FMDV.     

Humoral immune response of calves to bluetongue virus infection

Humoral immune responses of 7 calves to bluetongue virus (BTV) infection were evaluated by plaque-reduction assay and immunoblotting. Most readily interpretable results were obtained with the immunoblot assay when colostrum-deprived calves were used, and sera were reacted with proteins in partially purified extracts of BTV. Viremia persisted in calves for 35 to 56 days, and BTV coexisted in blood for several weeks with virus-specific neutralizing antibody. Calves developed antibody to virus protein 2, the major determinant of virus neutralization, at 14 to 28 days after inoculation; this time interval also coincided with the appearance of neutralizing antibody in serum. Virus clearance in BTV-infected calves did not coincide with humoral immune responses to protein 2 or other virion proteins.     

口蹄疫病毒基因组结构及其功能

口蹄疫病毒的基因组结构和功能是开展口蹄疫其他研究如鉴别诊断、新型疫苗研制和疫源追踪等工作的基础。口蹄疫病毒的基因组由5′UTR、ORF和3′UTR及Po ly(A)组成,全长约8 500 nt。VPg可能充当RNA合成引物的作用, 5′UTR 内的Poly(C)和内部核糖体进入位点(internalribosomaentrysite, IRES)是当前研究的热点之一。Poly(C)可能与病毒的感染性有关,IRES 对翻译的起始有重要作用。一般认为Poly(A)越长,病毒的感染性越强。病毒的ORF包括P1、P2、P3基因。L、P2、P3研究的相对较少,其中3A与病毒的宿主嗜性有关,3D为RNA聚合酶,可作为免疫和自然感染动物的鉴别诊断抗原。P1 为口蹄疫病毒的抗原结构,是研究口蹄疫免疫机制和新型疫苗的基础。VP1 可以作为分子流行病学调查,被很多国家所采用。     

Humoral immune response against Borna disease virus (BDV) in experimentally and naturally infected cats

In order to investigate the peripheral and intracerebral humoral immune response against Borna disease virus (BDV) in cats, serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from experimentally and naturally BDV-infected cats were analysed in two different test systems (indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescent test). The experimentally infected cats developed high antibody titres against the major immunogenic BDV-proteins, p24 and p40. In contrast, the naturally infected cats showed a comparatively weak humoral immune response. The experimentally infected cats were inoculated with either BDV laboratory strain V or a feline BDV-isolate. Some differences existed between the two groups of cats. The former group developed a higher response against p40, whereas the latter group showed, beside the p40-response, a more pronounced p24-response, similar to the situation in the naturally infected cats.