Immunological methods for the detection of porcine lymphotropic herpesviruses (PLHV)

• Published in: Journal of virological methods Vol. 233; pp. 72 - 77
• Main Authors: Plotzki, Elena, Keller, Martina, Ehlers, Bernhard, Denner, Joachim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2016
• Subjects: Animals; antibodies; Antibodies, Viral; Blotting, Western; bone marrow transplant; Butcher; ELISA; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epstein-Barr virus; Gene Expression; glycoproteins; Herpesviridae - genetics; Herpesviridae - immunology; Herpesviridae Infections - diagnosis; Herpesviridae Infections - immunology; Herpesviridae Infections - virology; Human gammaherpesvirus 4; Human gammaherpesvirus 8; Human herpesvirus 4; Human herpesvirus 8; Humans; lymphatic diseases; miniature swine; Pig; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Porcine lymphotropic herpesvirus; Recombinant Proteins; Sensitivity and Specificity; signs and symptoms (animals and humans); slaughterhouses; Swine; Swine Diseases - diagnosis; Swine Diseases - immunology; Swine Diseases - virology; Viral Envelope Proteins - genetics; Viral Envelope Proteins - immunology; Viral Envelope Proteins - isolation & purification; Viral Envelope Proteins - metabolism; Western blot; Western blotting; Xenotransplantation; Western blot; Butcher; Porcine lymphotropic herpesvirus; Xenotransplantation; ELISA; Pig
• ISSN: 0166-0934; 1879-0984
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2016.02.017

•Development of an ELISA and a new Western blot assay to test PHLV.•Testing of different pigs, some of them were antibody positive.•No anti-PLHV antibodies were found in butchers. Porcine lymphotropic herpesviruses (PLHV-1, -2, and -3) are widespread in pigs and closely related to the human pathogenic gammaherpesviruses Epstein-Barr virus (human herpesvirus 4, HHV-4) and Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (HHV-8). In minipigs, PLHV-1 causes a porcine post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after experimental transplantations. Porcine PTLD comes with clinical symptoms similar to those of human PTLD, a serious complication of solid organ and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation linked to HHV-4. Since PLHVs may be transmitted from donor pigs to the human recipient of xenotransplants (pig cells, tissues or organs), sensitive and specific methods should be developed to detect and eliminate PLHVs. Here we describe an ELISA and a Western blot assay using recombinant glycoprotein B of PLHV-1. Using both assays, the presence of specific antibodies in different pig breeds as well as in German slaughterhouse workers was analysed. Antibodies were detected in some animals, but not in human subjects.