Dengue carrier culture and antigen production in human lymphoblastoid lines

Replication of dengue type 2 (D2) viruses was studied in four lymphoblastoid cell lines; Raji, HR1, EB3 and RPMI 6410. The HR1 cell line failed to support D2 growth while the other cell lines showed varying susceptibility. Both D2 strain 16681 and strain New Guinea C (NGC) passaged in LLC-MK2 cells replicated readily in Raji cells, while a high mouse-brain-passaged NGC strain did not. A soluble complement-fixing (SCF) antigen from D2-infected Raji cells showed lines of identity with a D2SCF antigen prepared from infected suckling mouse brains. Electron microscopic studies of a D2 Raji carrier culture showed that virions were located in a membrane-vesicle complex in the cytoplasm of the cells. Precursors of viral particles were more frequently observed in the parts of the vesicle which had rough endoplasmic reticular membranes. Mature virus particles were observed often at the boundary of the other part of the vesicle, which consisted of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Occasionally, a large crystalloid structure consisting of incomplete viral particles was seen in degenerative cells. Dengue carrier cultures in human lymphoblastoid lines may provide a convenient in vitro system for study of aspects of dengue virus-leukocyte interactions.