Immunopathological Changes Induces by Porcine Circovirus Type 2 on Pigs

The aim of this paper was to evidence and evaluating the changes induced by porcine circovirus type 2 to different floors of the immune system. Immunological analysis showed a substantial changes in leukocytes subsets mainly to 6-weeks-old PCV2 positive clinically healthy pigs, PMWS and PDNS affected pigs. Total leukocytes counts were in relatively normal limits to PMWS and PDNS affected pigs. The circulating immune complexes levels were extremely high in case of PDNS affected pigs, other categories has no statistical differences of this parameter. Whole immunglobulin counts follows the infection according to age, lower levels were recorded only in PMWS affected pigs. From leukocytes populations an increase in the percentage of monocyte particularly in PMWS and PDNS affected pigs were observed. PDNS and PMWS affected pigs shows a deficit of lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio in favor of the last, this event is in direct relationship to increased levels of serum lysozyme. These data support the notion that PCV2-positive pigs might have an impaired immune response.