Recognition of B-CLL cells experimentally infected with EBV by autologous T lymphocytes.

We compared 5-day-old cultures of two B-CLL clones experimentally infected with EBV for their interaction with autologous T lymphocytes. The clone which was strongly activated by the virus stimulated autologous T cells. It was also damaged by the cytotoxic T cells which were generated in mixed cultures with autologous lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL). Cultured, non-infected CLL cells were not lysed by these effectors. The other B-CLL clone, which was activated to considerably lesser extent by the virus, did not stimulate the autologous T lymphocytes. While, also in this case cytotoxic function was generated in the mixed T cell-LCL culture, the effectors did not damage the EBV-infected CLL cells. The results with B-CLL cells can be regarded as a model for the EBV genome carrier normal B lymphocytes. They substantiate the current concept that such cells persist in seropositive healthy individuals undisturbed by the specific immune response as long as they maintain the phenotype of resting cells. However, after activation they can be recognized and eliminated by T cells.