Hepatitis B virus infection in cultured human lymphoblastoid cells.

Since it has been postulated that liver hepatocytes may become infected by hepatitis B virus (HBV) in vivo through direct contact with infected macrophages, the possibility that a circulating cell of hematopoietic origin might be susceptible to infection with HBV was investigated. Cells positive for HBV surface antigen were identified in aspirates of bone marrow cells from people infected with HBV. These cells were used to prepare a lymphoblastoid suspension culture that contains HBV-infected cells.