Role of hepatic macrophages during the viral haemorrhagic fever induced by African Swine Fever Virus
Investigation article published in Histology and Histopathology
March 1st, 2008
To ascertain the role played by the various liver monocyte-macrophage populations in the course of a viral hemorrhagic fever, fifteen pigs were inoculated intramuscularly with the highly virulent isolate of African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) España-70 and slaughtered at 1-7 days post-inoculation (dpi). Samples of liver were fixed in different solutions and routinely processed for morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies. Viral antigen (vp73) was detected from 3 dpi onward, mainly in circulating monocytes of sinusoid and Kupffer`s cells (KC), as well as in portal macrophages and hepatocytes from 5 dpi. Anti-SWC3 immunolabelled cells were increased from 1 dpi, peaking between 3 and 5 dpi, thereafter declining until the end of the experiment. The significant increase in the number of sinusoidal circulating monocytes and KC expressing IL-1alpha, TNFalpha and IL-6 from 1 dpi, confirmed the secretory activation of these cells. The results show that in the course of an ASFV-induced hemorrhagic syndrome, hepatic macrophage populations undergo major quantitative and biosynthetic changes prior to virus detection, suggesting the existence of a mechanism by which the virus concentrates infectable cells, which subsequently spread the virus around the body
Sanchez-Cordon PJ., Romero-Trevejo JL., Pedrera M., Sanchez-Vizcaino JM., Bautista MJ. and Gomez-Villamandos JC.
 | Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
| Servicio de Inmunología Viral y Medicina Preventiva (SUAT). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
| Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparada (Anatomía y Embriología). Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
