Establishment and characterization of a new Epstein-Barr virus transformed cell line from a human B cell lymphoma

Summary We have established a new cell line from a patient with centrocytic B cell lymphoma. Highly purified peripheral blood B cells from patient DUL (WBC counts 158,000/µl) were infected in vitro with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and CD 20⁺ B cells were cloned into 96 well culture plates with the aid of a cell sorter autoclone device. As shown by GTG-banding and Southern blot analysis, outgrowing EBV-positive clones had the same chromosomal abnormalities and identical monoclonal IgH gene rearrangement as the original EBV-genome-negative leukemic B cell clone. Surface marker analysis with a panel of monoclonal antibodies revealed identical patterns on EBV-negative and -positive clones, with the exception of PCA 1 (reactive with plasma cells) which was negative on freshly explanted leukemic B cells but positive on EBV-converted clones.List of abbreviations E sheep erythrocytes - EBV Epstein-Barr virus - FCC-NHL follicular centrocytic non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma - FCS fetal calf serum - LCL lymphoblastoid cell line(s) - mab monoclonal antibody - MNC mononuclear cells - NHL non-Hodgkin's lymphomaThis work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 322/B 2)This work forms part of the Ph. D. thesis of O. Janssen