Goat uterine epithelial cells are susceptible to infection with Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus (CAEV) in vivo

Mohamad Z Ali Al Ahmad,Gérard Chatagnon,Francis Fieni,Yahia Chebloune,Lionel Martignat,Marine Theret,Zakaria Khayli,Laurence Dubreil

doi:10.1186/1297-9716-43-5

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine, using immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization, whether CAEV is capable of infecting goat uterine epithelial cells in vivo. Five CAEV seropositive goats confirmed as infected using double nested polymerase chain reaction (dnPCR) on leucocytes and on vaginal secretions were used as CAEV positive goats. Five CAEV-free goats were used as controls. Samples from the uterine horn were prepared for dnPCR, in situ hybridization, and immunofluorescence. The results from dnPCR confirmed the presence of CAEV proviral DNA in the uterine horn samples of infected goats whereas no CAEV proviral DNA was detected in samples taken from the uninfected control goats. The in situ hybridization probe was complementary to part of the CAEV gag gene and confirmed the presence of CAEV nucleic acids in uterine samples. The positively staining cells were seen concentrated in the mucosa of the lamina propria of uterine sections. Finally, laser confocal analysis of double p28/cytokeratin immunolabelled transverse sections of CAEV infected goat uterus, demonstrated that the virus was localized in glandular and epithelial cells. This study clearly demonstrates that goat uterine epithelial cells are susceptible to CAEV infection in vivo. This finding could help to further our understanding of the epidemiology of CAEV, and in particular the possibility of vertical transmission.

Highlights

Caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) was first described as a cause of chronic arthritis in American goats [1,2,3], and has since been found to be widespread in goat herds worldwide [4,5]
Five goats that were selected from ELISA certified CAEV negative herds and which had two double nested polymerase chain reaction (dnPCR) negative blood samples and two dnPCR vaginal swab samples at an interval of one month were used as negative control goats
In this study, we investigated the cellular localization of CAEV in uterine tissues taken from CAEV-infected goats, using in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence with laser scanning confocal analysis

Summary

Introduction

Caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) was first described as a cause of chronic arthritis in American goats [1,2,3], and has since been found to be widespread in goat herds worldwide [4,5]. CAEV is an RNA virus belonging to the lentivirus genus of the family retroviridae [1]. In France, the infection is present in around 80 to 95% of breeding herds [6] and causes economic losses through reduced milk production, early culling, and loss of export potential [7]. Symptoms of infection may include lung disease and, more often, indurative mastitis as well as classical arthritis. Leucoencephalitis in young kids [1] remains rare. The principal route of transmission is vertical from

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