A BALB/c mouse model shows that liver involvement in dengue disease is immune-mediated.

In the present study, BALB/c mice were used to develop a model for the hepatic injury associated to dengue infection. Histological analysis after subcutaneous inoculation with a low viral dose of dengue-2 virus showed Kupffer cell hyperplasia and an increased inflammatory cellular infiltrate next to the bile ducts on days 5, 7 and 14 post-inoculation, mainly characterized by the presence of mononuclear cells. The liver mRNA transcription level of IL-1β was highest on the 5th day post-infection (p.i.) and decreased by the 21st day, TNF-α showed a peak of mRNA transcription after 14 days p.i. coinciding with the regression of cellular infiltrates and elevated expression of TGF-β mRNA. Serum AST and ALT levels were slightly elevated at 7 and 14 days post-infection. Dengue-2 RNA levels were undetectable in the liver on any of the days following inoculation. Our observations suggest that, as it is true for humans, the animals undergo a transient and slight liver inflammation, probably due to local cytokine production and cellular infiltration in the liver.