ABSTRACT
The in vitro cytokine profiles of porcine alveolar macrophages and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after stimulation with the immunomodulatory compound INMD [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Propionibacterium granulosum]. Expression of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, IL-12 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), but not of IL-10, was detected in INMD-stimulated alveolar macrophages. Stimulated PBMC expressed IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 and secreted interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). In all cases, the level of response was lower with INMD than with E. coli LPS alone, except for IFN-gamma, which was secreted in higher levels in INMD-stimulated cells. In a second experiment, the ex vivo effect of the administration of INMD was evaluated using the product as a coadjuvant of a live attenuated Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) vaccine. For this purpose, 85 8-10-week-old crossbred pigs were assigned to two groups (group A = 43 and group B = 42) and vaccinated with ADV. Group B received, simultaneously with the first dose of vaccine, an intramuscular dose of INMD equivalent to 20 micrograms/ml LPS and 250 micrograms/ml P. granulosum, while group A was given sterile saline solution as a placebo. At the time of vaccination, 97.6% (42 of 43) and 95.2% (40 of 42) of animals of groups A and B, respectively, had anti-gB maternal antibodies. Of those animals, anti-gE ADV antibodies were detected in 11.6% of animals of group A (five of 43) and 19% of group B (eight of 42). All animals were boosted with ADV vaccine alone 4 weeks later. Pigs to which INMD was administered together with the vaccine showed higher primary humoral responses than the vaccine-alone animals (P < 0.005). However, after boosting significant differences disappeared (P > 0.05).
Subject(s)
Adjuvants, Immunologic/pharmacology , Herpesvirus 1, Suid , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology , Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology , Macrophages, Alveolar/immunology , Pseudorabies/immunology , Viral Vaccines , Animals , Antibodies, Viral/isolation & purification , DNA Primers , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/veterinary , Escherichia coli , Interleukins/metabolism , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/drug effects , Lipopolysaccharides/immunology , Macrophages, Alveolar/drug effects , Propionibacterium/immunology , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary , Swine , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolismABSTRACT
We assessed the prevalence of antibodies to spotted fever group rickettsiae in human beings and dogs by indirect immunofluorescence in the region of 'Vallés Occidental', Barcelona (Spain). In the group of 150 serum samples from patients without former history of Mediterranean spotted fever, 12 had antibodies to Rickettsia conori. The overall seroprevalence was 8% (95% confidence interval, 4.6% to 13.5%). There were no statistically significant differences between the mean ages of patients with positive and negative antibodies to R. conorii. However, seropositivity was significantly more common among patients living in semi-rural areas. In the group of 138 dog serum samples, 36 (26.1%) sera had antibodies to R. conorii. When the present results were compared with those obtained in a previous seroepidemiological survey carried out in the same geographical region in 1987, no significant differences were found. Therefore, although the epidemiological markers have dropped, this does not absolutely confirm the decrease of the presence of R. conorii in this area.
