title: Persistent infection of a lymphoma cell line by herpes simplex virus.
abstract: The peripheral blood cells from a patient with a B-cell lymphoma were established in long-term tissue culture. Two years after establishment of the cells in culture they were infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 and the productivity and duration of viral persistence investigated. One week after infection the lymphoblastoid cells were productively infected and have remained so for a period of over 3 years. Expression of a viral glycoprotein antigen was evaluated by using a fluorescein-labeled monoclonal anti-herpes simplex virus type 2 antibody and revealed a spectrum of staining reactions grading from a lightly stippled to very intense pattern. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the infected cells revealed the presence of the herpes simplex virus type 2 DNA polymerase gene in the infected cells that was absent from the uninfected lymphoblastoid cells. These results taken together with the long-term growth characteristics of both the infected and uninfected lymphoblastoid cells suggest that this cell line may be a good model system for studying viral infection, viral replication, viral latency, and clinical application for the isolation of human herpes virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. ykao@lsumc.edu
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Sundin
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gebhardt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured