We constructed an infectious molecular clone of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated retrovirus. Upon transfection, this clone directed the production of infectious virus particles in a wide variety of cells in addition to human T4 cells. The progeny, infectious virions, were synthesized in mouse, mink, monkey, and several human non-T cell lines, indicating the absence of any intracellular obstacle to viral RNA or protein production or assembly. During the course of these studies, a human colon carcinoma cell line, exquisitely sensitive to DNA transfection, was identified.

https://jvi.asm.org/content/jvi/59/2/284.full.pdf

Production of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated retrovirus in human and nonhuman cells transfected with an infectious molecular clone.

A human hematopoietic cell line (U-937) with exceptional characteristics was derived from a patient with generalized histiocytic lymphoma. The morphology of the cell line was identical to that of the tumor cells in the pleural effusion from which the line was derived. Since Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) carrying diploid lymphoblastoid cell lines unrelated to the tumor population often become established in vitro from non-Burkitt lymphoma explants, several parameters were studied to discriminate the U-937 from such lines: morphology in vitro, growth characteristics, cytochemistry, surface receptor pattern, Ig production, lysozyme production, beta2-microglobulin production, presence of EBV genome and karyotype. In all these respects U-937 differed from prototype lymphoblastoid cell lines. The histiocytic origin of the cell line was shown by its capacity for lysozyme production and the strong esterase activity (naphtol AS-D acetate esterase inhibited by NaF) of the cells. It is therefore concluded that the U-937 is a neoplastic, histiocytic cell line.

Establishment and characterization of a human histiocytic lymphoma cell line (U‐937)

Publisher Summary The recognition of the existence of natural cell-mediated immunity, particularly natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity, has significantly altered the concepts concerning the potential mechanisms for in vivo resistance against tumor growth and for in vitro cell-mediated immune reactions. When cytotoxic reactions are measured, the evaluation of the role of natural killer (NK) cells and other more well-known mechanisms of cytotoxicity must be done carefully. This chapter focuses on natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity. It summarizes the known information on the expression of natural cytotoxicity in rodents and in man, its specificity, the nature of the effector cells and their relationship to other immune mechanisms, and the possible in vivo relevance of natural cytotoxicity, particularly in regard to resistance against tumor growth. The basic observation that initiated the studies of natural cell mediated cytotoxicity includes that lymphoid cells from some normal mice, rats, and human donors, which are not inoculated with tumor cells or other sources of antigen, exhibit significant levels of cytotoxic reactivity against certain syngeneic or allogeneic tumor cells.

Natural Cell-Mediated Immunity

The karyotypes of cells from 10 Burkitt lymphoma (BL) biopsies, eight cell lines established from BL and nine cell lines from non-BL sources were studied by chromosome banding techniques. With the exception of the BL-derived cell lines BJAB, GC-BJAB, Maku and U-8691 all biopsies and lines of Burkitt origin contained an extra band at the distal region of the long arm of one chromosome 14. An extra band on chromosome 14 was also found in cells of one non-BL biopsy, in cells from a lymphosarcoma-derived cell line and in a long-established cell line derived from the pleural exudate of a patient with Hodgkin's disease. A distal region at the long arm of one chromosome 8 was missing in all metaphase figures of good technical quality in the same material. The size, morphology and stain-ability of the missing region corresponded fairly well to the extra region at chromosome 14. We therefore suggest that the chromosome 14 marker represents a translocation between chromosomes 8 and 14,t (8q-; 14q+). The translocation was present neither in lymphocytes of the peripheral blood of five Burkitt patients nor in five lymphoblastoid cell lines of non-BL origin. Trisomy 7 was found in two of the 10 BL biopsies, in two BL-derived cell lines, in one non-BL biopsy, in two lymphosarcoma-derived cell lines and in one cell line derived from a patient with Hodgkin's disease.

Characteristic chromosomal abnormalities in biopsies and lymphoid‐cell lines from patients with burkitt and non‐burkitt lymphomas

Sixty-two explants from peripheral blood, bone marrow and cerebral fluid of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and leukemic transformed non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) were cultivated for at least 8 weeks. Although lymphatic cells persisted up to 16 weeks in tissue culture, no proliferation was observed in 54 cultures. From the remaining cultures, eight permanently growing cell lines were obtained. Five of these were EBNA (Epstein-Barr virus-specific nuclear antigen)-positive. Three, however, were ENBA-negative and lacked Epstein-Barr virus genomes. Two cell lines (KM-3 and SH-2) expressed neither B nor T cell characteristics. One line (JM) expressed T cell characteristics and complement receptors. The growing lymphatic cells represented leukemic cells, since the pattern of cytochemical staining and that of membrane receptors of lymphoblasts from the same donor prior to cultivation were identical. All leukemic cell lines were derived from patients in relapse. In contrast, no proliferation of leukemic cells occurred in explains from patients revealing the first manifestation of the disease. These results suggest enhanced growth potential of lymphoblasts resisting antileukemic therapy.

Characterization of EBV‐genome negative “null” and “T” cell lines derived from children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and leukemic transformed non‐Hodgkin lymphoma

An Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-negative lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL), BJA-B, was established from an African Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) which contained no detectable EBV DNA and did not express the EBV specified antigen EBNA, BJA-B cells grow in typically large, flat clumps. All carry surface-bound immunoglobulins, a B lymphocyte marker, and do not form rosettes with sheep erythrocytes. After infection of BJA-B cells by EBV the infected cells may produce either EBV-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) or both EBNA and early antigen (EA), depending on the strain of EBV. The homogeneity of the BJA-B cell population with respect to immunological and isoenzyme markers and size suggests a clonal origin of the line. BJA-B is the first EBV-negative LCL established from an African Burkitt's lymphoma and demonstrates that an EBV-independent continuous B cell line can be established "in vitro" from other than leukemia or myeloma cells.

Establishment and characterization of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBC)-negative lymphoblastoid B cell line (BJA-B) from an exceptional, EBV-genome-negative African Burkitt's lymphoma

Three exceptional cell lines have been tested for the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus genome by nucleic acid hybridization (complementary RNA·DNA) and Epstein-Barr virus-determined nuclear antigen tests. Two lines were derived from Swedish lymphoma cases and one from an African Burkitt-like lymphoma biopsy that was negative for Epstein-Barr virus DNA and the virus-determined nuclear antigen. All three lines apparently lacked the viral genome. Two of the three lines clearly had characteristics of B-cells (bone-marrow-derived).

https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/71/8/3283.full.pdf

Continuous Lymphoid Cell Lines with Characteristics of B Cells (Bone-Marrow-Derived), Lacking the Epstein-Barr Virus Genome and Derived from Three Human Lymphomas

Biological differences between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) strains with regard to lymphocyte transforming ability, superinfection and antigen induction.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) derived from the B95-8 line has transforming activity for cord blood cells, whereas virus derived from the P3HR-1 line lacks such activity. When the two viral preparations wer

Infection of EBV-Genome-Negative and – Positive Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines with Biologically Different Preparations of EBV

HLA-D typing of 44 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 31 patients with Reiter's syndrome (RS) did not show increased frequency of any particular Dw allele in either population of patients as compared to controls. Such studies also allowed each patient's general response to be compared with other general responses within each experiment. Contrary to reports of diminished lymphocyte responses in AS patients, hyperresponsiveness in both AS and RS patients was found.

Wolfgang Leibold

Papers

Establishment and characterization of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBC)-negative lymphoblastoid B cell line (BJA-B) from an exceptional, EBV-genome-negative African Burkitt's lymphoma

Continuous Lymphoid Cell Lines with Characteristics of B Cells (Bone-Marrow-Derived), Lacking the Epstein-Barr Virus Genome and Derived from Three Human Lymphomas

Biological differences between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) strains with regard to lymphocyte transforming ability, superinfection and antigen induction.

Infection of EBV-Genome-Negative and – Positive Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines with Biologically Different Preparations of EBV

HLA-D locus typing in ankylosing spondylitis and Reiter's syndrome.