Surface marker characterization of EBV-carrying cells in blood of healthy seropositive individuals.

We have determined the phenotype of EBV-carrying cells in human blood by establishing spontaneous LCLs from populations selected according to three B cell markers, B1, B2, and 35.1C5. LCLs grew from the B1-positive, B2-positive, B2-negative and 35.1C5-positive population. Thus, EBV-carrying cells in blood of seropositive individuals are restricted to the B cell lineage. These B cells may or may not express the B2 epitope, and they may be derived from the lymph node mantle zone or the splenic marginal zone. These in vivo EBV-carrying cells could enter the viral productive cycle and transform coresident B cells during the initial 3 days in vitro. The characteristic of the LCLs with regard to these 3 B cell markers did not correspond to the original B cell population from which they were derived.