Subpopulations of human lymphoblastoid cell lines. Correlation with the expression of surface receptors and content of Epstein-Barr virus genome.

Forty lymphoblast cell lines derived from normal subjects, patients with infectious mononucleosis, leukemia, and Burkitt's lymphoma have been studied for surface receptors including surface Ig, complement receptors by the EAC rosette and fluorescent (Raji cell) techniques, and Fc (aggregate) receptor by direct and indirect immunofluorescence. Because of the B-cell tropism of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an effort was made to correlate the expresion of various surface properties of lymphoblastoid cell lines with the content of EBV viral DNA as determined by complementary RNA-DNA (cNRA-DNA) hybridization on membrane filters or by DNA-DNA renaturation kinetic analysis. The only correlation established was with the Fc receptor determined by direct immunofluorescence. No correlation of EBV genome equivalents per cell with complement receptor or surface Ig was noted, suggesting that the expression of these receptors is not influenced by EBV viral DNA content. Subgroups of lymphoblastoid cell lines were on the basis of variable expression of surface receptors, designated B1, B2, B3, B4, and T. The distribution of lymphoblastoid cell lines into these subgroups were in the ratio of 14:4:1:4:1. The B1, B2, and B4 cell lines (except Molt 4F) were found to contain EBV. The B3 subgroup, for wich cell line 698 was the sole example, expressed surface immunoglobulins but no other B-cell characteristics, and H.S.B., a T-cell line, lacked detectable EBV.