Cytokine production in immortalized porcine alveolar macrophages infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the most economically significant viral pathogens for pig production worldwide. PRRSV primarily infects cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage such as porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), and is generally known to suppress normal macrophage function and regulate innate immune responses to viral infection. A continuous PRRSV-permissive porcine monocyte-derived cell line was previously generated to facilitate virus propagation and advance research on the biology and immunology of PRRSV. With the availability of this valuable tool, we first sought to explore modulation of inflammatory cytokine expression in PAM-pCD163 cells infected with each genotype PRRSV and to establish an in vitro system for immune function studies using PRRSV isolates.