No abstract

Leukocyte-transforming agents were isolated in baboon leukocytes inoculated with oral excretions from immunosuppressed chimpanzees. The transformed lymphoblasts had B cell surface markers and harbored herpes-type virus particles; 5-10% of the cells contained cytoplasmic antigens reactive with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-antibody-positive chimpanzee, human and baboon sera. These sera also neutralized the transforming activity of the chimpanzee virus. Long-term lymphoid cell lines were established from circulating lymphocytes of normal baboons: two from Papio cynocephalus and three from P. hamadryas. The cells had B cell surface markers, contained herpes-type virus particles and produced virus with leukocyte-transforming activity. No virus-associated nuclear antigen was detectable with reference baboon and chimpanzee sera; however, the cells reacted with selected human sera containing antibodies to EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA). Absorption experiments confirmed the specificity of this reaction. Baboon lymphoblasts produced baboon virus-associated soluble complement-fixing (CF/S) antigen. Baboon sera had CF antibodies to viral (CF/V) antigen derived from EBV but failed to react with EBV-associated CF/S antigen. Chimpanzee and baboon herpesviruses had similar in vitro host cell ranges but were different from those of EBV. Inoculation of baboons, rhesus monkeys and cottontop marmosets failed to produce detectable illness or palpable tumors.

A number of combinations of anionic and cationic polymers, the majority being polysaccharides, were screened to determine their suitability for the development of alternative microcapsule formulations capable of supporting cells. The capsules were taken through a limited optimization and then evaluated on the bases of rupture strength, permeability to albumin, and ability of their components to promote the attachment, aggregation, and function of encapsulated rabbit hepatocytes. The widely used alginate-polylysine capsules were employed as a comparative standard in all tests. A number of the new formulations compared favorably with the standard, and some exhibited superior performance in specific areas. Hepatocyte function, as evaluated by the rate of urea synthesis, showed no significant differences between formulations over a 24-h test period. One formulation, composed of the polysaccharides (carboxymethyl)cellulose, chondroitin sulfate A, chitosan, and polygalacturonate, was found to be superior to alginate-polylysine capsules in the areas investigated and supported the long-term survival and growth of liver endothelial cells.

No abstract

All human T lymphoblast cell lines have been derived from subjects with leukemia secondary to thymic lymphoblastic lymphoma, a T cell malignancy, suggesting that such lines represent established cultures of neoplastic T cells. Based on this observation, we prepared rabbit antisera to T cell line HSB-2, removed reactivity for histocompatibility antigens and normal T cells by absorption with autocthonous B cell line CCRF-SB and normal thymocytes, and tested the absorbed antisera by complement-dependent cytotoxicity against a panel of normal and malignant cells. A representative antiserum reacted with all 4 T cell lines (mean cytotoxic index =56) and with tumor cells from 4 patients with T cell lymphoma (mean cytotoxic index = 50) but did not react with tumor cells from 6 patients with other types of leukemias (mean cytotoxic index = 2), with 3 B cell lines (mean cytotoxic index = 1), normal peripheral blood lymphocytes (mean cytotoxic index = 5), or normal thymocytes (mean cytotoxic index = 6). We conclude that appropriately absorbed antisera to human T cell lines detect T cell lymphoma tumor antigens.