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T-cell responses in domestic pigs and wild boar upon infection with the moderately virulent African swine fever virus strain “Estonia2014”
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  • Alexander Schäfer,
  • Laura Zani,
  • Jutta Pikalo,
  • Jane Hühr,
  • Julia Sehl,
  • Thomas Mettenleiter,
  • Angele Breithaupt,
  • Sandra Blome,
  • Ulrike Blohm
Alexander Schäfer
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute Federal Research Institute for Animal Health

Corresponding Author:alexander.schaefer@fli.de

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Laura Zani
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute Federal Research Institute for Animal Health
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Jutta Pikalo
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute Federal Research Institute for Animal Health
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Jane Hühr
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute Federal Research Institute for Animal Health
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Julia Sehl
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute Federal Research Institute for Animal Health
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Thomas Mettenleiter
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute Federal Research Institute for Animal Health
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Angele Breithaupt
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute Federal Research Institute for Animal Health
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Sandra Blome
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute Federal Research Institute for Animal Health
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Ulrike Blohm
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute Federal Research Institute for Animal Health
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Abstract

Infection with African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a highly lethal hemorrhagic disease in domestic and Eurasian wild pigs. Thus, it is a major threat to pig populations worldwide and a cause of substantial economic losses. Recently, less virulent ASFV strains emerged naturally, which showed higher experimental virulence in wild boar than in domestic pigs. The reason for this difference in disease progression and outcome is unclear but likely involves different immunological responses. Unfortunately, besides the importance of CD8α+ lymphocytes, little is known about the immune responses against ASFV in suids. Against this background, we used a multicolor flow cytometry platform to investigate the T-cell responses in wild boar and domestic pigs after infection with the moderately virulent ASFV strain “Estonia2014” in two independent trials. CD4–/CD8α+ and CD4+/CD8α+ αβ T-cell frequencies increased in both subspecies in various tissues, but CD8α+ γδ T cells differentiated and responded in wild boar only. Proliferation in CD8α+ T cells was found 10 days post infectionem only. Frequencies of T-bet+ T cells increased in wild boar but not in domestic pigs. Of note, we found a considerable loss of perforin expression in cytotoxic T cells, 5 and 7 dpi. Both subspecies established a regulatory T-cell response 10 dpi. In domestic pigs, we show increasing levels of ICOS+ and CD8α+ invariant Natural Killer T cells. These disparities in T-cell responses might explain some of the differences in disease progression in wild boar and domestic pigs and should pave the way for future studies.
10 Sep 2020Submitted to Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
10 Sep 2020Submission Checks Completed
10 Sep 2020Assigned to Editor
15 Sep 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
15 Oct 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Oct 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Major
01 Dec 20201st Revision Received
01 Dec 2020Submission Checks Completed
01 Dec 2020Assigned to Editor
03 Dec 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
02 Jan 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
02 Jan 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
22 Feb 20212nd Revision Received
22 Feb 2021Submission Checks Completed
22 Feb 2021Assigned to Editor
22 Feb 2021Editorial Decision: Accept