Characterization of interaction between porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and porcine dendritic cells.

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome Virus (PRRSV) is an infectious disease that causes abortions and respiratory disorders in swine. In this study, the interaction between PRRSV and porcine dendritic cells generated from CD14(+) monocytes in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4 was examined. As a result, it was shown that immature and mature dendritic cells can be productively infected with PRRSV. When the expression of surface MHC molecules on infected dendritic cells was determined, MHC classes I and II were found to be downregulated when compared with uninfected dendritic cells. With the exception of the IL-4 and IFN-gamma cytokines, the induction of the IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-alpha cytokines all increased in dendritic cells infected with PRRSV. A mixed lymphocyte reaction showed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells cocultured with PRRSVinfected dendritic cells were less stimulated than peripheral blood mononuclear cells cocultured with dendritic cells treated with PBS, LPS, or UV-inactivated PRRSV. Therefore, these results suggest that PRRSV would appear to modulate the immune stimulatory function of porcine dendritic cells.