In situ detection of urease-positive Helicobacter pylori-like organisms on swine gastric mucosa.

The objective of this study was to improve the visual localization of urease activity of Helicobacter pylori-like organisms (HPLO) on swine gastric mucosa by in vitro optimization of the urea concentration and pH indicator of a urease test reagent. Five 21-day-old conventional pigs were infected orally with HPLO (3 pigs) or Brucella broth alone (2 pigs). At 17 d after infection the pigs were euthanized and their stomachs excised and tested for HPLO by a modified urease test formulation sprayed onto the gastric mucosa, as well as confirmatory culture and isolation of HPLO from urease-positive sites. This study showed improved detection of HPLO in porcine gastric mucosa with the use of a modified urease test formulation containing 5% urea and the pH indicator bromocresol purple compared with the use of a conventional formulation of 2% urea and phenol red. This test can readily be applied to achieve a presumptive diagnosis of HPLO in cases of gastritis or gastric esophageal ulceration in pigs.

In utero transmission of porcine torque teno viruses.

Sera and selected tissue homogenates collected from gnotobiotic swine never exposed to the environment or other swine tissues were tested for the presence of porcine torque teno virus (TTV) DNAs by nested and non-nested polymerase chain reactions (PCR) using primers specific for the untranslated region of porcine genogroups (g) 1 and 2. Twenty-three of 105 (21.9%) gnotobiotic piglets were g1- and/or g2-TTV DNA positive. Twenty-three of 27 (85.2%) sow sera, collected at the time of Caesarian derivation of the litters contained either or both TTV genogroup DNAs. These data demonstrate that porcine TTV may be transmitted to piglets by the in utero route and that the incidence of fetal infection is high.

Evaluation of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae bacterins for porcine torque teno virus DNAs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether commercial Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae bacterins sold for use in swine contain porcine torque teno virus (TTV). SAMPLE POPULATION: 22 commercially available M hyopneumoniae bacterins. PROCEDURES: Direct and nested PCR assays for genogroup-specific TTV DNAs were performed on serials of M hyopneumoniae bacterins by use of published and custom-designed primer pairs at 3 laboratories in North America and Europe. RESULTS: Of the 22 bacterins tested by use of direct and nested PCR assays, 7 of 9 from the United States, 2 of 5 from Canada, and 4 of 8 from Europe contained genogroup 1- and genogroup 2-TTV DNAs. In some bacterins, the TTV DNAs were readily detected by use of direct PCR assays. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Analysis of these data indicated that many of the commercially available M hyopneumoniae bacterins were contaminated with TTV DNA. It is possible that some of these bacterins could inadvertently transmit porcine TTV infection to TTV-naïve swine.

Age-dependent seroprevalence of antibodies against a Helicobacter pylori-like organism and Helicobacter pylori in commercially reared swine.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of antibodies against a swine-origin Helicobacter pylori-like organism (HPLO) and H pylori in conventionally reared swine. ANIMALS: 640 conventionally reared swine of various ages from 16 high-health farms in Canada, 20 sows from Ohio, and 35 gnotobiotic swine. PROCEDURES: Blood was collected from the cranial vena cava. Sera were collected and tested via ELISA for antibodies against antigen prepared from a swine-origin HPLO and human H pylori strain 26695. RESULTS: Antibodies reactive with a swine HPLO, H pylori, or both were detected in 483 of 640 swine from all 16 farms in western Canada. Seroprevalence varied with age and was low (5.6%) in suckling ( 4 weeks old to adulthood. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings suggested that colonization by a swine-origin HPLO, H pylori, or both and resultant seroconversion, like that of H pylori infection in humans, were common in commercial swine operations. Furthermore, data indicated that gastric infection was acquired at an early age. The relationships to gastric colonization by HPLOs and clinical manifestations of disease such as gastritis and gastroesophageal ulceration remain to be determined.

Isolation and preliminary characterization of a novel Helicobacter species from swine.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a Helicobacter sp similar to Helicobacter pylori in the stomachs of humans could be isolated from the stomachs of pigs. ANIMALS: 4 young conventionally reared and 21 gnotobiotic pigs. PROCEDURE: Gastric mucosal homogenates (10% wt/vol) from 4 young conventionally reared pigs were cultured on Skirrow medium under microaerophilic conditions to assess the presence of Helicobacter spp. Colonies with morphologic features compatible with Helicobacter organisms were selected, tested for urease activity, and subpassaged on Skirrow medium. Isolates were examined via SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and reciprocal western blot analyses involving convalescent sera from monoinfected gnotobiotic pigs. RESULTS: Urease- and catalase-positive, gram-negative, microaerophilic, small, curved rod bacteria were isolated from the gastric mucosa of young healthy pigs. The first isolate (2662) was structurally and immunologically closely related to H pylori isolated from humans. The second isolate (1268) displayed an SDS-PAGE profile dissimilar to that of H pylori and isolate 2662, yet it shared limited immunologic cross-reactivity with these microbes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings of this study indicate that development of gastric mucosal ulcers and ulceration of the nonglandular pars esophagea in pigs may be associated with gastric colonization by swine-origin Helicobacter spp, which are similar to H pylori isolated from humans.