T-lymphoblastoid cell lines from Marek's disease lymphomas

The establishment and continuous culture of two lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from Marek's disease lymphomas is described. Although the cells carried T-lymphocyte surface antigens, they had many features in common with cultured Burkitt's lymphoma lymphoblasts, which carry B-cell determinants. A small proportion acted as infectious units in tissue culture, and a similarly small proportion contained intranuclear immature herpesvirus particles. The cells did not respond to phytohaemagglutinin. One cell line possessed some graft-versus-host capacity, as measured by the induction of splenomegaly. It is concluded that the development of acute Marek's disease involves the malignant transformation of thymus-dependent lymphocytes by Marek's disease virus.