Different local, innate and adaptive immune responses are induced by two commercial Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae bacterins and an adjuvant alone

Introduction

Enzootic pneumonia still causes major economic losses to the intensive pig production. Vaccination against its primary pathogen, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, is carried out worldwide to control the disease and minimize clinical signs and performance losses. Nonetheless, the effects of both infection with, and vaccination against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae on the innate and adaptive immune responses remain largely unknown. Therefore, we conducted a study in which piglets were injected once with a commercial bacterin V1 or V2, or the adjuvant of V1 (A) to investigate their effect on local, innate and adaptive immune responses.

Methods

Three weeks after vaccination, piglets were challenge infected with M. hyopneumoniae and euthanized four weeks later to assess vaccine efficacy via macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of lung lesions. Blood and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BAL) samples were collected to measure antibody responses, cellular immunity, BAL cytokine levels and BAL M. hyopneumoniae DNA load as well as cytokine secretion by monocytes.

Results

After vaccination, proliferation of antigen-specific CD3⁺ T cells and a higher percentage of TNF-α⁺ CD8⁺, and TNF-α⁺ and TNF-α⁺IFN-γ⁺ CD4⁺CD8⁺ T cells was seen in V1, while proliferation of or a significant increase in cytokine production by different T cell subsets could not be observed for animals from V2. Interestingly, LPS-stimulated blood monocytes from V1 and A secreted less IL-10 on D7. After challenge, higher levels of IgA, more IL-10 and less IL-1β was detected in BAL from V1, which was not observed in V2. Animals from A had significantly more IL-17A in BAL. The macroscopic lung lesion score and the M. hyopneumoniae DNA load at euthanasia was lower in V1, but the microscopic lung lesion score was lower in both vaccinated groups.

Discussion

In conclusion, these results indicate that the two commercial bacterins induced different local and adaptive immune responses, that the adjuvant alone can reduce anti-inflammatory innate immune responses, and that both vaccines had a different efficacy to reduce Mycoplasma-like lung lesions and M. hyopneumoniae DNA load in the lung.

Cross-sectional study on the in-herd prevalence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae at different stages of pig production

BACKGROUND

A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the prevalence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections before vaccination in 3-week-old piglets and to gain information about infection dynamics.

METHODS

In 13 German and three Austrian farms with a known history of enzootic pneumonia, 790 piglets and 158 sows were sampled (blood samples, tracheobronchial swabs [TBS] [piglets], laryngeal swabs [LS] [sows]), and 525 pen-based oral fluids (OFs) were collected in growing and fattening pigs. Laboratory diagnostics included enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses.

RESULTS

Antibodies to M. hyopneumoniae were present in 87.5 per cent of all herds. Seroprevalence ranged from 0.0 to 100.0 per cent and 0.0 to 88.0 per cent in sows and piglets, respectively. M. hyopneumoniae-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was present in 3.8 and 0.4 per cent of LS and TBS, respectively. Gilts had a 10.9 times higher chance being M. hyopneumoniae PCR-positive than older sows. In 75.0 per cent of all farms, M. hyopneumoniae-DNA was present in OFs. Detection rate was significantly higher in OFs of 20-week-old than in younger pigs (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Results indicate that M. hyopneumoniae infections of the lower respiratory tract in piglets are rare but highlight the role of gilts in maintaining infection in the herd. Collecting OFs seems promising for surveillance, if coughing occurs simultaneously.

Comparison of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and porcine circovirus 2 commercial vaccines efficacy when applied separate or combined under experimental conditions

Background

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo) and Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2) are two of the most significant infectious agents causing economic losses in the weaning to slaughter period. Due to their similar vaccination age, the objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of two already existing Mhyo (Hyogen®) and PCV-2 (Circovac®) vaccines when administered separately or combined (RTM) by means of Mhyo or PCV-2 experimental challenges.

Results

Seven groups of animals were included in the study, being three of them challenged with PCV-2, three with Mhyo and one composed of non-challenged, non-vaccinated pigs. Within each experimental challenge, non-vaccinated (NV) groups were compared with double vaccinated groups using the commercial products separated (VS) or combined (VC). Both vaccinated groups showed significant differences for most parameters measured regarding PCV-2 (serology, percentage of infected animals and viral load in tissues) and Mhyo (serology and gross lesions) when compared to NV groups. VS and VC offered similar results, being only significantly different the PCV-2 antibody values at different time points (higher in the VS group) of the study, although not at the termination day (21 days post-PCV-2 inoculation).

Conclusion

The present study expands the knowledge on the possibility of using two separate Mhyo and PCV-2 commercial vaccines as a RTM product, which offered equivalent virological, immunological and pathological outcomes as compared to these vaccines when used by separate.

Characterization of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strains in vaccinated and non-vaccinated pigs from Spanish slaughterhouses

This study aimed to describe Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) genetic variability in vaccinated (V) and non-vaccinated (NV) slaughtered pigs showing cranio-ventral pulmonary consolidation (CVPC). Ten V and 10 NV fattening farms with respiratory problems associated to M. hyopneumoniae were selected. Lung lesions of one batch per farm were scored at slaughterhouse and the enzootic pneumonia (EP)-index was calculated. Moreover, three lungs showing the most extensive CVPC per farm were sampled and tested for M. hyopneumoniae detection by real-time (rt)-PCR. Positive samples with cycle threshold ≤30 were selected to be genotyped by sequencing of four loci (P97, P146, H1 and H5). Typing profiles (TP) were assigned considering four or two (P97, P146) loci. Five commercial vaccines for M. hyopneumoniae (VS) and two reference strains (RF) were also genotyped. The EP-index (mean ± SD) in NV farms (3.8 ± 1.9) was not significantly different from V ones (2.2 ± 1.3). From the 60 selected lungs, 46 (76.7%) were M. hyopneumoniae positive by rt-PCR (25/30 and 21/30 from NV and V farms, respectively), and 43 (93.5%) of those were successfully genotyped. A total of 24 different TP(12 in V and 12 in NV farms) or 17 TP(9 in V and 9 in NV farms, being one TP in both farm types) were identified by analyzing four or two loci, respectively. One to three TP per farm were detected, being different from VS and RF. Interestingly, farms with same breeding origin had the same TP using two loci, but such link was not found using four loci. Therefore, high inter-farm and limited intra-farm M. hyopneumoniae genetic variability were detected, but variability depended on the number of studied loci.

Full genome characterization of porcine circovirus type 3 isolates reveals the existence of two distinct groups of virus strains

BACKGROUND

The occurrence of the novel porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) was reported from the Americas, Asia and Europe. Although this virus was detected in association with various clinical syndromes in pigs, its role as possible swine pathogen remains unclear. PCV3 was detected with high prevalence in Polish farms, but to date no genome sequences were available from European PCV3 strains.

METHODS

We collected 1060 serum samples from piglets at the age of 20-24 weeks from 53 farms distributed all over Germany. PCV3 DNA was detected using a real-time PCR and subsequently complete PCV3 genome sequences were obtained after multiply primed rolling circle amplification and sequencing of overlapping PCR products. Phylogenetic analysis was performed by neighbor-joining method and maximum likelihood method.

RESULTS

We obtained 15 complete PCV3 genome sequences as well as nine partial sequences including the putative ORFs 1, 2 and 3 from PCV3 viremic animals in German pig farms. Phylogenetic analysis of these German as well as 30 full genome sequences received from GenBank divided the PCV3 strains into two main groups and several subclusters. Furthermore, we were able to define group specific amino acid patterns in open reading frame 1 and 2.

CONCLUSION

PCV3 is distributed with high prevalence in German pig industry. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two clearly separated groups of PCV3 strains, which might be considered as PCV3 genotypes. Specific nucleotide and amino acid marker positions may serve for easy and fast intraspecies classification and genotyping of PCV3 strains. No correlation between PCV3 variants with their geographical origin was evident. We found the same diversity of PCV3 strains in Germany as in other countries. We hypothesize that PCV3 is not a newly emerging virus in the German pig population. Future studies will have to show, if PCV3 genotype specific biological properties are evident.

Efficacy of one dose vaccination against experimental infection with two Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strains

Background

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) is the primary agent of enzootic pneumonia in pigs. Pigs are often infected with different M. hyopneumoniae strains. This study assessed the efficacy of vaccination against experimental infection with two genetically different M. hyopneumoniae strains in weaned piglets. At 33 days of age (D0), 45 M. hyopneumoniae-free piglets were randomly assigned to three different groups: 1) negative control group (NCG; n = 5): not vaccinated, not infected, 2) positive control group (PCG; n = 20): not vaccinated, infected, and 3) vaccination group (VG; n = 20): single vaccination with an inactivated whole-cell M. hyopneumoniae vaccine (Hyogen®, Ceva) (D1), infected. The PCG and VG were endotracheally inoculated with 7 × 10⁷ CCU in 7 ml of the highly virulent M. hyopneumoniae strain F7.2C (D24) and 7 × 10⁷ CCU in 7 ml low virulent strain F1.12A (D25). A respiratory disease score (RDS) was assessed from D24 until D53. At D53 (euthanasia), macroscopic lung lesions (MLL) were scored, log copies of M. hyopneumoniae DNA (qPCR) and IL-1 and IL-6-concentrations (ELISA) on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were determined.

Results

The RDS and MLL at euthanasia were respectively 0, 1.20 and 0.55 (P < 0.001) and 0, 7.56 and 0.68 (P < 0.001) for NCG, PCG and VG, respectively. The qPCR results for PCG and VG were 3.99 and 1.78 log copies (P < 0.001), respectively, with a significant difference between PCG and VG. The IL-1 and IL-6 results at euthanasia for NCG, PCG and VG were 17.61, 1283.39 and 53.04 pg/ml (P < 0.001) and 148.10, 493.35 and 259.80 pg/ml (P = 0.004), respectively with a significant difference between PCG and VG.

Conclusions

Vaccination with Hyogen® in pigs was efficacious against an experimental challenge with both a low and highly virulent M. hyopneumoniae strain as the vaccinated pigs coughed significantly less, and showed significantly less lung lesions compared to the non-vaccinated challenged pigs: the vaccinated animals showed a 52.9% lower RDS and 91.0% lower MLL compared to the PCG. In the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid collected at the necropsy of the vaccinated pigs, a significantly lower amount of M. hyopneumoniae-DNA and a significantly lower IL-1 and IL-6 concentration was found compared to the pigs of the PCG.

Microphysical explanation of the RH-dependent water affinity of biogenic organic aerosol and its importance for climate

A large fraction of atmospheric organic aerosol (OA) originates from natural emissions that are oxidized in the atmosphere to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Isoprene (IP) and monoterpenes (MT) are the most important precursors of SOA originating from forests. The climate impacts from OA are currently estimated through parameterizations of water uptake that drastically simplify the complexity of OA. We combine laboratory experiments, thermodynamic modeling, field observations, and climate modeling to (1) explain the molecular mechanisms behind RH-dependent SOA water-uptake with solubility and phase separation; (2) show that laboratory data on IP- and MT-SOA hygroscopicity are representative of ambient data with corresponding OA source profiles; and (3) demonstrate the sensitivity of the modeled aerosol climate effect to assumed OA water affinity. We conclude that the commonly used single-parameter hygroscopicity framework can introduce significant error when quantifying the climate effects of organic aerosol. The results highlight the need for better constraints on the overall global OA mass loadings and its molecular composition, including currently underexplored anthropogenic and marine OA sources.

QF-PCR Examination of Parental and Meiotic Origin of Trisomy 21 in Central and Eastern Europe

Study of parental/meiotic origin of free trisomy 21 in nuclear families from Russia (70 cases), Ukraine (32 cases), and 22 from Germany revealed maternal nondisjunction in 77.3% (Germany), 93.8% (Ukraine), and 91.4% (Russia), paternal origin in 13.6%, 6.2%, and 8.6%, respectively. Maternal meiosis I errors were found in 84.4% (Ukraine), 77.1% (Russia), paternal origin in 3.1% (Ukraine), 2.9% (Russia). Maternal meiosis II errors occurred in 9.4% and 14.3% and paternal in 3.1% and 5.7% in Ukraine and Russia, respectively. No significant differences were found in maternal/paternal origin among Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and published data from other European regions.

Primary and secondary organics in the tropical Amazonian rainforest aerosols: chiral analysis of 2-methyltetraols

This work presents the application of a new method to facilitate the distinction between biologically produced (primary) and atmospherically produced (secondary) organic compounds in ambient aerosols based on their chirality. The compounds chosen for this analysis were the stereomers of 2-methyltetraols, (2R,3S)- and (2S,3R)-methylerythritol, (l- and d-form, respectively), and (2S,3S)- and (2R,3R)-methylthreitol (l- and d-form), shown previously to display some enantiomeric excesses in atmospheric aerosols, thus to have at least a partial biological origin. In this work PM10 aerosol fractions were collected in a remote tropical rainforest environment near Manaus, Brazil, between June 2008 and June 2009 and analysed. Both 2-methylerythritol and 2-methylthreitol displayed a net excess of one enantiomer (either the l- or the d-form) in 60 to 72% of these samples. These net enantiomeric excesses corresponded to compounds entirely biological but accounted for only about 5% of the total 2-methyltetrol mass in all the samples. Further analysis showed that, in addition, a large mass of the racemic fractions (equal mixtures of d- and l-forms) was also biological. Estimating the contribution of secondary reactions from the isomeric ratios measured in the samples (=ratios 2-methylthreitol over 2-methylerythritol), the mass fraction of secondary methyltetrols in these samples was estimated to a maximum of 31% and their primary fraction to a minimum of 69%. Such large primary fractions could have been expected in PM10 aerosols, largely influenced by biological emissions, and would now need to be investigated in finer aerosols. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of chiral and isomeric analyses as the first direct tool to assess the primary and secondary fractions of organic aerosols.

HOX gene expression in phenotypic and genotypic subgroups and low HOXA gene expression as an adverse prognostic factor in pediatric ALL

BACKGROUND

HOX genes play an important role in both normal lymphopoiesis and leukemogenesis. However, HOX expression patterns in leukemia cells compared to normal lymphoid progenitors have not been systematically studied in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) subtypes.

PROCEDURE

The RNA expression levels of HOXA, HOXB, and CDX1/2 genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR in a cohort of 61 diagnostic pediatric ALL samples and FACS-sorted subpopulations of normal lymphoid progenitors.

RESULTS

The RNA expression of HOXA7-10, HOXA13, and HOXB2-4 genes was exclusively detected in leukemic cells and immature progenitors. The RNA expression of HOXB6 and CDX2 genes was exclusively detected in leukemic cells but not in B-lineage cells at any of the studied developmental stages. HOXA3-4, HOXA7, and HOXB3-4 genes were differentially expressed between BCP-ALL and T-ALL subgroups, and among genotypically defined MLL/AF4, TEL/AML1, BCR/ABL, hyperdiploid and normal karyotype subgroups. However, this differential expression did not define specific clusters in hierarchical cluster analysis. HOXA7 gene was low expressed at the RNA level in patients with hyperdiploid leukemia, whereas HOXB7 and CDX2 genes were low expressed in TEL/AML1-positive and BCR/ABL-positive cases, respectively. In contrast to previous findings in acute myeloid leukemia, high HOXA RNA expression was associated with an excellent prognosis in Cox's regression model (P = 0.03). In MLL/AF4-positive ALL, lower HOXA RNA expression correlated with the methylation status of their promoters.

CONCLUSIONS

HOX gene RNA expression cannot discriminate leukemia subgroups or relative maturity of leukemic cells. However, HOXA RNA expression correlates with prognosis, and particular HOX genes are expressed in specific genotypically characterized subgroups.

2D and 3D finite element pre- and post-processing in orthopaedy

The present widespread tomographic techniques based on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and automatic 2D and 3D reconstructions also involve numerous new points of view for planning surgical techniques in orthopaedy. These require efficient pre- and post-processing methods. By pre-processing and post-processing is meant both the generation of a finite element mesh that numerically models human joints and the visualization of the results obtained as required by the surgeon. Since the numerical reconstructions of human joints are based on the finite element approximation of contact problems assuming linear elasticity, the main goal of pre-processing is to generate triangular (2D) and tetrahedral (3D) meshes of objects with a 'reasonable' boundary-human joints. In our paper we restrict ourselves, for the sake of simplicity, to polygonal (resp. polyhedral) objects. The idea of preprocessing is based on the modified method of Delaunay Mangulalia and on the so-called relaxation technique. After the generation of the finite element mesh and after numerical simulation of surgical problems of orthopaedy, the results obtained as stress-strain fields, temperature, etc. may be visualized in a graphical form on the computer screen as well as on other media.

Blood Lipid and ECG Responses to Carbohydrate Loading

Carbohydrate loading is so popular that spaghetti is now the premarathon meal. Dr. Blair studied whether this practice has adverse effects on cardiovascular function.