DIRECT MEMBRANE FLUORESCENCE REACTION OF EBV-CARRYING HUMAN LYMPHOBLASTOID CELLS - BLOCKING TESTS WITH XENOGENEIC ANTISERA

The direct membrane fluorescence reaction obtained between a fluorescein‐conjugated reference antiserum of a Burkitt lymphoma patient (Mutua) and the EBV‐associated membrane antigen complex carried on lymphoblastoid cell lines of Burkitt lymphoma or infectious mononucleosis origin was evaluated with regard to its ability to distinguish between anti‐species and anti‐EBV antibodies in heterologous (rabbit) antisera. The serum of a rabbit immunized with EB virus concentrate gave fair to very good blocking of the direct membrane reaction with the Mutua conjugate. The sera of rabbits immunized with chronic lymphatic leukemia cells were free of significant blocking activity. Sera of three rabbits immunized with Burkitt lymphoma biopsies gave significant blocking in several tests. It is concluded that the EBV‐determined surface antigen receptors can be distinguished from species‐specific membrane antigen sites and that this type of approach may be helpful to study the mutual relationships of antigenic structures identified by auto‐, allo‐ and heteroantibodies, respectively. Copyright © 1969 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company