Interaction of Epstein-Barr virus with leukaemic B cells in vitro. I. Abortive infection and rare cell line establishment from chronic lymphocytic leukaemic cells.
Leukaemia B cell populations, each with an individual pattern of monoclonal surface immunoglobulin expression, were obtained from 23 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and, following exposure to a potent dose of Epstein-Barr (EB) virus in vitro, were monitored for expression of the virus associated nuclear antigen EBNA, for activation of immunoglobulin synthesis and for virus-induced transformation to an established cell line. Although possessing the EB virus receptor, CLL cells were generally refractory (vis-à-vis normal adult B cells) to the full effects of the viral infection. All the leukaemic populations tested developed a small proportion of EBNA positive cells within a few days post-infection, but in most instances this disappeared with no subsequent evidence of viral activity. In certain cases, however, the EBNA staining became more intense, involving a larger fraction of the population and persisting for some weeks, but again this was not accompanied by virus-induced immunoglobulin synthesis or transformation. In contrast, the leukaemic cells from a single patient, tested on three separate occasions, regularly responded to EB virus infection with the rapid establishment of an EBNA positive B cell line in which the restricted pattern of surface and cytoplasmic immunoglobulin expression (gamma lambda) exactly matched that present on the original leukaemic cells.
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D011951:Receptors, Complement / Q000032:analysis; D014162:Transfection
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D011951:Receptors, Complement