[Contamination of continuous cell lines].

During 1976--1979 approximately 150 lines and variants of human cells (derivatives of HeLa cells, tumor lines not contaminated with HeLa cells, lymphoblastoid lines) and cells from 16 animal species were examined. The karyotype analysis, determination of mobility of isoenzymes and immunological method of mixed hemadsorption were used for cell identification. Among the lines examined 73 lines were selected which comprised the cell culture collection of the Laboratory of tissue cultures of the D. I. Ivanovskiy Institute of Virology of the USSR AMS. The results of the detection of cell contamination are presented: about 20% of the cultures were found to be contaminated with cells of other origin.