Studies on the infectivity and cytopathology of epstein‐barr virus in human lymphoblastoid cells

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Abstract
The infectivity of EB virus recovered from cultures of P‐3J and the HR1K clone of this cell line has been demonstrated in established lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from healthy human donors and from patients with neoplastic disease. Filtered virus concentrates induced cell alterations similar to those produced by other members of the herpes group of viruses. Cell responses observed were: 1) an acute cytopathic effect evident within 16–72 h and characterized by cell swelling, polykaryocyte formation and progressive degeneration, and 2) a less severe CPE with minimal cell swelling and degeneration followed by either the establishment of a carrier culture or more often a culture in which the virus eventually disappeared. Characteristic non‐enveloped herpes‐virus‐type particles were seen in the cell nucleus as early as 16 hours post exposure to virus and, subsequently, enveloped virions were found in the cytoplasm. A non‐productive or abortive infection of the lymphoblastoid cells was indicated by the higher incidence of cells showing viral antigen by immunofluorescence, than the presence of virus particles. The infectivity of EBV was neutralized by human sera containing antibodies reactive with the viral envelope.