Purpose: Swine are expected to be utilized as xenograft donors for both whole organ and cellular transplantation. A major concern in using porcine organs for transplantation is the potential of transmission of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV). Tissue-engineered or decellularised heart valves have already been implanted in humans and have been marketed by certain companies after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The aim of this study was to examine the existence of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) in fresh and decellularised porcine tissues. Methods: Porcine tissues (both fresh and decellularised) were analysed using validated assays speciÞ c for PERV: polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: PERV speciÞ c GAG sequences were found in the porcine heart tissue samples using PCR for DNA and RT-PCR for RNA. All tissue samples (both fresh and treated tissues) like aortic valve, pulmonary valve and heart muscle showed the presence of PERV DNA. RT PCR for PERV was positive in all fresh tissues and was found to be negative in decellularised treated tissues. Conclusions: PCR is a rapid, speciÞ c test for the detection of PERV virus in xenografts. These Þ ndings have demonstrated that the presence of proviral DNA form of PERV in porcine tissues needs to be carefully considered when the infectious disease potential of xenotransplantation is being assessed.
Porcine small intestinal sub-mucosa is a cell-free collagen matrix that has demonstrated its ability as a scaffold material. Transplantation poses special hazards because grafted tissues and organs transmit pathogens efficiently, especially viruses. Rotavirus is thought to be confined to the intestine, causing acute diarrhoea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the porcine intestinal tissue scaffold for Rotavirus and to study the incidence of this virus among pig herds. Only one isolate was successfully adapted to grow in cell line MA 104 from faecal samples. This isolate was further confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis.
These findings have demonstrated that the presence of both DNA and RNA forms of porcine endogenous retrovirus in porcine tissues needs to be carefully considered when the infectious disease potential of xenotransplantation is being assessed.
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