Interferon-alpha and haptoglobin in pigs selectively bred for high and low immune response and infected with Mycoplasma hyorhinis.

Pigs selected for high (H) or low (L) combined antibody and cell-mediated immune response were infected with Mycoplasma hyorhinis. Following the infection, arthritis was more severe in the H pigs, while pleuritis and peritonitis were more severe in the L pigs. Since Mycoplasma infections in pigs often cause just mild signs, indicators of the inflammatory response may aid diagnosis of such infections. In addition, data about the genetic influence on inflammatory response indicators are scanty in the pig. The objectives of the study were therefore: firstly, to determine interferon-alpha (IFNalpha) and haptoglobin in M. hyorhinis infected pigs and, secondly, to investigate if the inflammatory response as determined by these indicators was influenced by genetic selection. There was no consistent increase of IFN-alpha in serum following infection. The serum haptoglobin concentration started to increase 3 days post-infection and there was no difference between the two breeding lines. Hence, M. hyorhinis infection in pigs is reflected in increased serum haptoglobin concentration, but no effect of the magnitude of the inflammatory response on this indicator by selection for high or low immune response was observed.