Replication of poliovirus and measles virus in cultures of human lymphoblastoid and of Burkitt lymphoma cell lines.

Poliovirus type 1 replicated in 4 different human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LBL) transformed in vitro by EBV virus or isolated from cases of mononucleosis. Maximum virus titers were reached 2--4 days after inoculation. There was a decrease in percentage of viable cells in the infected cultures but a considerable fraction of cells was not destroyed by virus replication. A persistent low grade replication of virus was observed and demonstrable during 56 days after inoculation in one LBL cell line. Presumably a small fraction of cells supporting virus replication is continuously recruited from refractory cells. No virus propagation was demonstrable in 4 Burkitt lymphoma (BL) cell lines. Measles virus grew efficiently in both types of cell lines. Using indirect immunofluorescent technique poliovirus and measles virus antigen could be demonstrated in the cytoplasm of LBL cells in parallel with disappearance of F-actin containing microvilli.