Gene expression of porcine lymphotrophic herpesvirus-1 in miniature swine with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder

Porcine lymphotropic herpesvirus-1 (PLHV-1) is a γ-herpesvirus related to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and associated with development of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) following allogeneic stem cell or spleen transplantation in miniature swine. Oligonucleotide microarrays were designed based on known open reading frames (ORFs) of PLHV-1. Expression was compared by cohybridization of cDNA from lymph nodes of PLHV-1+ swine after allogeneic spleen transplantation between either: 1) PTLD-affected and PTLD-unaffected swine; or 2) PTLD-affected swine vs. samples from the same animal prior to diagnosis. In PTLD-affected animals, consistent upregulation (nine ORFs) and downregulation (four ORFs) of PLHV-1 mRNA was observed in comparison to those without PTLD. No differences in gene expression were discovered at the time of clinical PTLD diagnosis compared to six to nine days prior to diagnosis in the same animals. This model provides insights into the pathogenesis of PTLD and, by extension, potential diagnostic and therapeutic tools for human EBV-associated PTLD.