Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40006919›Full record

ArticleViruses2025

Reliable Polymerase Chain Reaction Methods for Screening for Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses-C (PERV-C) in Pigs.

Hina Jhelum, Dusan Kunec, Vasileios Papatsiros, Benedikt B Kaufer, Joachim Denner

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Viruses, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Hina JhelumInstitute of Virology, Free University Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Dusan KunecInstitute of Virology, Free University Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Vasileios PapatsirosFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Clinic of Medicine (Farm Animal Medicine), University of Thessaly, GR 43100 Karditsa, Greece.ORCID 0000-0003-4955-0460
Benedikt B KauferInstitute of Virology, Free University Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1328-2695
Joachim DennerInstitute of Virology, Free University Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3244-6085

Funding

This research was funded by German Research Council, TRR127
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Porcine endogenous retrovirus C (PERV-C) is a gammaretrovirus present in the genome of many, but not all, pigs. It is an ecotropic virus, able to infect only pig cells. In contrast, PERV-A and PERV-B, which are present in all pigs, can infect cells of multiple host species, including humans, thereby posing a risk for xenotransplantation when pigs are used as donor animals. Notably, PERV-C can recombine with PERV-A to produce PERV-A/C recombinants that can infect human cells and replicate to higher titers compared to the paternal PERV-A. The objective of this study is to evaluate the reliability of both existing and newly developed polymerase chain reactions (PCR) methods for detecting PERV-C, with the aim of selecting PERV-C-free pigs to be used for xenotransplantation. To detect PERV-C by PCR, specific primers targeting the region of the envelope protein gene, which differs from that of PERV-A and PERV-B due to its unique receptor binding site, must be employed. In this study, new PCR assays were developed to detect PERV-C and a total of ten PCR assays and one real-time PCR assay were evaluated for their reliability in detecting PERV-C. These assays were used to screen indigenous Greek black pigs, Auckland Island pigs, and German slaughterhouse pigs. Two of the PCR assays consistently yielded reliable results, whereas the other PCRs and the real-time PCR gave false positive results. Using the reliable assays, it was shown that one out of four indigenous Greek black pigs (using the same method in a previous publication 11 of 21 pigs were found PERV-C-negative), one out of ten German slaughterhouse pigs, the pig kidney cell line PK15, and all the Auckland Island pigs were PERV-C-negative. The reliable PCR assays will enable the screening of PERV-C-negative donor pigs to be used in xenotransplantation. Most importantly, all the Auckland Island pigs that were genetically modified in Germany for use in clinical trials were PERV-C-negative.

Indexed as

Endogenous RetrovirusesPolymerase Chain ReactionRetroviridae InfectionsSwine DiseasesAnimalsReproducibility of ResultsSensitivity and SpecificitySwineTransplantation, HeterologousAuckland Island pigsPERV-Cpolymerase chain reactions (PCR) methodsporcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs)porcine virusesreal-time PCRxenotransplantation

Identifiers

PMID40006919
PMCPMC11860680

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.