Author
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CHEEVERS, WILLIAM - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV |
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BEYER, JOSEPH - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV |
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Knowles Jr, Donald |
Submitted to: Journal of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: A major problem of retrovirus infections of sheep and goats is the lack of an effective vaccine. This manuscript is the result of a study to determine the characteristics of the immune response of goats infected with CAEV and disease free and goats infected with CAEV and diseased. The long-term goal is to understand protective immune responses and mimic those responses through vaccination. Technical Abstract: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Saanes goats experimentally infected with caprine arthritis-encephalitis lentivirus (CAEV) were evaluated by semi quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-2 gene expression following in vitro stimulation with purified CAEV gp 135 surface protein (SU). Studies examined three goats with chronic arthritis and four age matched clinically asymptomatic goats a 5 years postinfection (pi). IFN-gamma and IL-4 mRNAs were increased in CAEV SU stimulated PBMC from infected goats compared to unstimulated PBMC. SU responsive IFN-gamma+ cells ere dominant in PBMC from asymptomatic goats, whereas SU responsive IL-4+ cells were dominant in PBMC from goats with arthritis. In contrast to IFN-gamma and IL-4, IL-2 mRNA was not increased in SU stimulated PBMC compared to unstimulated PBMC. Lymphokine mRNA profiles in SU stimulated PBMC were dependent on the presence of CD4+ T lymphocytes. Results indicate that asymptomatic goats have a dominant population of CAEV SU reactive T helper 1 (Th1)- like lymphocytes in PBMC, whereas goats with clinical arthritis have a dominant population of SU reactive TH2-like lymphocytes. |