Rapid proliferation of B cells from adenoids in response to Epstein-Barr virus infection.
EBV is a human tumor virus that is associated with different types of tumors. A unique feature of EBV is its capability to infect and immortalize human B cells both in vivo and in vitro. In cell culture, this progress is termed immortalization and infected B cells grow out to permanent, so-called lymphoblastoid cell lines. During our experiments, we observed that B lymphocytes derived from adenoids are infected efficiently by EBV and proliferate much more rapidly than any other known type of B cell. High concentrations of adhesion molecules and of CD21, the EBV receptor, present on these cells may account for this phenomenon. Adenoid B cells may therefore represent a particular subpopulation of preactivated B lymphocytes that can greatly simplify and enhance the production of lymphoblastoid cell lines for, e.g., antigen-presenting cells for gene therapeutic approaches and similar applications.
Zeidler
R
R
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Munich, Germany. zeidler@haema105.gsf.de
Meissner
P
P
Eissner
G
G
Lazis
S
S
Hammerschmidt
W
W
D000234:Adenoids / Q000166:cytology*; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002455:Cell Division; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000166:cytology
D016898:Interferon-alpha