Infection of Primary Cultures of Human Kupffer Cells by Dengue Virus: No Viral Progeny Synthesis, but Cytokine Production Is Evident

We investigated the ability of dengue virus to invade human primary Kupffer cells and to complete its life cycle. The virus effectively penetrated Kupffer cells, but the infection did not result in any viral progeny. Dengue virus-replicating Kupffer cells underwent apoptosis and were cleared by phagocytosis. Infected Kupffer cells produced soluble mediators that could intervene in dengue virus pathogenesis.