A human B-cell line (BES-1) forming rosettes with sheep erythrocytes, producing Forssman antibody, and phagocytizing sheep erythrocytes.

A lymphoid cell line, designated BES-1, belonging to "lymphoblastoid cell lines with B-cell properties (B-LCL)" and derived from some normal B lymphocytes, was established in an attempt at primary culture of peripheral blood from a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). BES-1 cells unexpectedly formed rosettes with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC), which are usually a T-cell marker, and phagocytized SRBC. Subsequent study indicated that BES-1 cells produce antibody specific to Forssman (F) antigen, but not to Paul-Bunnell (P-B) or Hanganutzin-Deicher (H-D) antigen.