[The transforming activity of influenza virus in tissue cultures]

First, it was shown that one can model chronic influenza infection induced by influenza virus A (Honkong) 1/68 and A (Victoria) 35/72 in a primary culture of human kidney (PHK). The persistance of the mentioned viruses in PHK and diploid cells of human lungs (DCHL) is associated with a cytoproliferative effect, manifested in the enhancement of mitotic and proliferative activity of the cultures, in prolongation of "the life" of the primary persistantly infected PHK culture for 60-100 days, as compared with the control. During passages epithelial cells were replaced by fibroblast ones, these were readily transplanted later. No transformation effect due to the action of influenza virus in cell cultures, chronically infected, was noted.