Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines. I. Culture Methods and Examination for Epstein-Barr Virus

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Abstract
A simple technique is described for the establishment of Iymphoblastoid cell lines from small samples of peripheral blood. Thirteen cell lines were grown from patients with infectious mononucleosis, acute and chronic leukemia, and myelofibrosis but none from healthy subjects. Indirect immunofluorescence and electron microscopy proved equally sensitive for the detection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) which was found, on initial examination, in 6 of 8 cell lines from patients with infectious mononucleosis but in 0 of 4 cell lines from patients with leukemia and myelofibrosis. Virus later appeared in 3 lines initially considered negative, probably due to the presence of a previously occult infection. Unusually high titers of EBV antibody were found in plasma from 5 of 10 adult patients with leukemia. Data from 3 children with acute leukemia suggested that in vivo lymphoproliferation is not the critical factor in determining whether a lymphoblastoid cell line will grow in vitro.

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