Lawrence N. Chessin

Association of herpes-like virus infection with infectious mononucleosis

Abstract Serial serum specimens from forty-five patients with infectious mononucleosis were tested by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence of antibody against a herpeslike virus (HLV) first found in continuous cell lines established from biopsy specimens of Burkitt tumors. Most patients had detectable levels of anti-HLV antibody in the first specimens tested; however in several no antibody was demonstrable early in their illness but titers of 1:10 or greater developed after a few weeks. Peak titers ranged from 1:10 to 1:640. They were more variable than those found in serum from African children with Burkitt tumor, all of whom had high levels of anti-HLV antibody. During convalescence, titers tended to remain elevated and even to rise. Of an age- and sexmatched control group 55 per cent had demonstrable antibody to HLV in their serum as did 76 per cent of a group of fifty persons associated in the study of leukemia and lymphoma. HLV could be demonstrated in thirteen of sixteen long-term leukocyte cultures isolated from the peripheral blood of nine patients with infectious mononucleosis. The data available so far are not sufficient to permit us to draw any firm conclusions about the role HLV may play in the pathogenesis of infectious mononucleosis; alternative explanations for present findings can be offered.

The Circulating Lymphocyte—Its Role in Infectious Mononucleosis

Abstract This Combined Clinical Staff Conference presents some of the newer findings in basic biology of the lymphocyte and illustrates how investigational techniques of tissue culture, virology, i...

Infectious mononucleosis: immunoglobulin synthesis by cell lines

Immunoglobulin synthesis by 16 long-term suspension cultures of mononuclear cells derived from peripheral blood of nine patients with heterophile-positive infectious mononucleosis (IM) has been demonstrated by radioimmunoelectrophoretic techniques. All cell lines synthesized molecules with IgG (gamma) heavy chain specificity. 14 cell lines produced molecules with IgM (mu) heavy chain specificity and 11 cell lines produced molecules with IgA (alpha) heavy chain specificity. No detectable synthesis of molecules with IgD (delta) heavy chain specificity was observed by these cell lines derived from peripheral blood of patients with IM. 13 cell lines produced molecules with type K (kappa) light chain specificity and 6 cell lines produced molecules with type L (lambda) light chain specificity. Of interest, 9 of 16 lines produced IgG (gamma), IgA (alpha), and IgM (mu) heavy chain molecules and 5 of these cell lines produced molecules with type K (kappa) and type L (lambda) light chain specificity as well. Further characterization by combined polyacrylamide gel filtration, immunodiffusion, and radioautography indicated the presence of newly synthesized immunoglobulin molecules with both heavy and light polypeptide chains in close association as well as free light polypeptide chain synthesis. Investigation of the localization of immunoglobulin in single cells by immunofluorescent techniques revealed that 5-22% of cells in these lines were strongly reactive with a fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated rabbit antisera directed against the antigenic determinants of human IgG and cross-reactive with the determinants common to IgA and IgM. No heterophile antibody, heteroagglutinin, or hemolytic antibody could be demonstrated in these cell lines derived from peripheral blood of patients with heterophile-positive infectious mononucleosis.

Interferon Production in Cell Lines Derived from Patients with Infectious Mononucleosis

Discussion and Summary In a previous report, it has been shown that biopsy material from patients with Burkitts lymphoma gave rise to continuous cell lines in vitro (4,5). The lines appear to be lymphoid in character, produce interferon, contain a herpes-like virus (6,7) and synthesize immunoglobulins (8). In studying the peripheral leukocytes from patients with heterophile positive acute infectious mononucleosis, we have successfully isolated continuous cell lines in vitro. These lines possess the biological features of continous Burkitt cell lines (1). In these studies an inhibitor present in the established cell suspensions was identified as interferon on the basis of criteria used for the classification of interferons. Recently it has been reported that lymphoblastoid cells derived from fibroblastic elements of bone marrow of patients with infectious mononucleosis produced interferon (9). Although the inducer of interferon synthesis has not been identified, preliminary electron microscopy data in our laboratory indicates the presence of unusual 22 mμ particles in all of the cell lines studied for antiviral activity (10).

The Detection and Characterization of Phagocytic Cells in Established Human Cell Lines Synthesizing Immunoglobulins

Summary Long-term suspension cultures of lymphoid cell lines were studied for phagocytic activity and pyrogen production. These cell lines were shown to actively phagocytize both polystyrene particles and Staphylococcus epidermidis, a function generally not attributed to lymphoid cells. We have observed that release of leukocytic pyrogen, normally associated with phagocytic activity of granulocytes and monocytes, did not accompany phagocytosis by these lymphoid cell lines.