Molecular Detection of Bovine Papillomavirus DNA in the Placenta and Blood of Healthy Mares and Respective Foals.

Federica Savini,Alessandra Scagliarini,Jole Mariella,Francesca Mazza,Carolina Castagnetti,Laura Gallina

doi:10.3390/vetsci6010014

Federica Savini, Alessandra Scagliarini + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci6010014

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Journal: Veterinary sciences	Publication Date: Feb 6, 2019
Citations: 8	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Bologna

Abstract

Despite the characteristic species specificity of Papillomaviruses (PVs), the bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1, 2, and—more rarely—13, can cross-infect equids, where they are involved in the pathogenesis of sarcoid neoplasms. Sarcoids are locally invasive fibroblastic skin tumors that represent the most common skin neoplasms in horses worldwide. The transmission mechanism of BPV is still controversial in horses. Thus far, direct and indirect routes have been implicated, while vertical transmission has been suggested after the detection of viral DNA in the semen of healthy stallions. Testing of the blood and placenta of non-sarcoid baring mares and their respective foals revealed that the equine placenta can harbor BPV DNA, leading us to speculate a possible prenatal vertical DNA transmission in equids.

Highlights

Papillomaviruses (PVs) are small double-stranded DNA viruses capable of infecting all amniotes
No amplification was obtained from the skin biopsies of the sheep, while bovine papillomavirus (BPV) DNA was amplified from the placenta, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of mares, and PBMCs of respective foals in seven out of twelve couples
DNA and gene expression of BPV have been demonstrated in the peripheral blood and skin of sarcoid and non-sarcoid baring horses, showing that the virus can cause asymptomatic infections, with BPV

Summary

Introduction

Papillomaviruses (PVs) are small double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses capable of infecting all amniotes. Strict species specificity is characteristic of all PVs, the bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1, 2, and 13 (BPV-1, -2, -13) can cause cross-species infection in equids, where they cause sarcoids [1,2,3]. Sarcoids are locally invasive fibroblastic skin tumors that represent the most common dermatological neoplasm worldwide in horses and can seriously compromise the welfare of affected equids and cause substantial economic losses. BPV DNA has been detected in sarcoid lesions and in the normal skin and blood of horses with and without equine sarcoid [4,5,6,7,8]. Vertical transmission has been suggested in equids by evidence of BPV gene expression in the blood and semen of healthy horses [9]

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