Measles virus variants: viral replication and cytopathogenicity in human T lymphocytes and B lymphoblastoid cells

Measles virus can replicate in circulating T cells, B cell and monocytes of man as well as in different human lymphoblastoid cell lines. In the present report we describe the effects on lymphoblastoid cells and on a defined population of human T lymphocytes of infection with three measles virus variants characterized by different cytopathogenicity in human and simian epithelial cell lines. The aim of the investigation was to establish some evidence that the evolution of the viral infection and the cellular damage in lymphocytes can be directly controlled by viral properties.