Expression of Toll-like Receptor-4 (TLR-4) in horses. Its association with IFN-g in Equine Infectious Anemia.

BAILAT A; VEAUTE C; SOUTULLO A; RACCA A; GARCIA MI; MALAN BOREL I

Córdoba - Argentina

Congreso; VII Congreso Latinoamericano de Inmunología; 2005

ALAI

The aim of this work was to determine the expression of mRNA for TLR-4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy and others naturally infected with Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) as well as TLR-4 correlation with IFN-g expression. Total RNA was extracted from PBMC from five infected and 5 healthy horses, and RT-PCR was performed. Target and housekeeper (equine b-actin) cDNA were amplified within the exponential phase of reaction and electrophoresed. Band intensity was analyzed with Scion Image software. The results, expressed as target/b-actin intensity ratio, showed that in all healthy horses TLR-4 mRNA expression was detected (mean±SD=0.464±0.193). TLR-4 and IFN-g expression in EIAV infected horses were compared with a normal range, given by mean±2SD of control horses levels (0.086±0.188 and 0.464±0.386, for IFN-g and TLR-4, respectively). Three horses had IFN-g expression levels exceeding that range (0.51; 0.62; 0.34), while maintaining TLR-4 expression levels within it (0.27; 0.66; 0.76). In contrast, the other two infected horses showed IFN-g expression levels within the normal range (0.15; 0.03) while TLR-4 levels were below it (0.02; 0.01). We demonstrate the expression of equine TLR-4 and a possible association, in EIAV infected horses, between the TLR-4 normal expression and an increase in IFN-g expression. This would contribute to the disease control.