[Hepatic macrophages and virus].
Kupffer cells are located at strategic positions in the liver sinusoids. They are involved in the clearance of about 90% of foreign particles namely viruses and play an important role in the pathogenesis since their interaction with viruses represents a major determinant of viremia. On the one hand, they may protect the host from the infection by taking up and degrading the viral particles as well as by presenting antigen to lymphocytes, on the other hand, they may enhance the infection by producing and disseminating viruses when they are permissive. When they are activated or when they produce interferon alpha, Kupffer cells exert an antiviral effect on adjacent cells. Moreover they participate to the inflammatory response by synthesizing numerous mediators. Their destruction as well as the alteration of their functional properties may have serious physiopathological consequences.
Steffan
A M
AM
INSERM U74, Laboratoire de Virologie de la Faculté de Médicine, Strasbourg, France.
D000818:Animals; D002459:Cell Fusion; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000821:virology*; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis; D014779:Virus Replication
Macrophages hépatiques et virus.