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PRIMARY INFECTION OF BALB/C MICE WITH A DENGUE VIRUS TYPE 4 STRAIN LEADS TO KIDNEY INJURY
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Dengue is a disease caused by dengue virus (DENV-1 through -4), and is responsible for over 300 million cases worldwide. Among the four serotypes, DENV-4 remains the least studied, with limited data on the histopathology of the disease. Acute kidney injury is a potential complication of dengue generally associated with severe dengue infection. This reinforces the need for a better understanding of the consequences of dengue infection in renal tissue. Recently, the BALB/c mouse strain has gained ground as a competent model for experimental dengue infection. In this study, BALB/c mice were infected through the intravenous route with a DENV-4 strain, isolated from a human patient. The kidneys of the mice were procured and subject to histopathological and ultrastructural analysis. The presence of the viral antigen was confirmed through immunohistochemistry. Analysis of tissue sections revealed the presence of inflammatory cell infiltrate throughout the parenchyma. Glomerular enlargement was a common find. Necrosis of tubular cells and hemorrhage were also observed. Analysis of the kidney on a transmission electron microscope allowed a closer look into the necrotic tubular cells, which presented nuclei with condensed chromatin, and loss of cytoplasm. Even though the kidney is probably not a primary target of dengue infection in mice, the inoculation of the virus in the blood appears to damage the renal tissue through local inflammation.
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