Y. Persidsky et al., SIGNS OF KUPFFER CELL INVOLVEMENT IN PRODUCTIVE SIMIAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-INFECTION IN MONKEY LIVER, Research in virology, 145(3-4), 1994, pp. 229-237
The livers of 21 rhesus monkeys inoculated with SIVmac251 were examine
d at 4 days to 39 months after infection. SIV antigens were detected i
n the cytoplasm of Kupffer cells (KC), macrophages and lymphocytes in
two-thirds of the livers tested. The number of cells containing viral
proteins substantially increased during the development of the disease
, and KC were the main cell type displaying SIV proteins at an advance
d stage of infection. Mature and immature lentiviral particles were fo
und in cytoplasmic vacuoles or associated with worm-like structures in
KC, indicating that SIV replication could occur within resident liver
macrophages. Another sign of the permissiveness of KC was the formati
on of multinucleated giant cells within the hepatic sinusoids. Some of
these cells containing 3-6 nuclei still retained ultrastructural feat
ures of KC. Most of them contained a high quantity of viral particles.
Numerous lymphocytes displaying signs of apoptosis were taken up by K
C, especially at the beginning of infection. Hyperplasia and hypertrop
hy of KC were noted in the course of SIV disease in the liver. The pre
sent data indicate that KC can be infected in vivo and may serve as a
reservoir for SIV during the progression of the disease.