COXIELLA-BURNETII IN POLYMORPHIC LYMPHOCYTES IN TISSUE AND BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH POLYMORPHIC RETICULOSIS

Coxiella burnetii is a well-known causative agent of granulomatous inf lammation and an inducer of morphological changes and transformation o f human B lymphocytes in vitro. An association of the organism with po lymorphic reticulosis (PMR), a malignant granulomatous inflammation ch aracterized by polymorphic lymphocytes, was examined. The infection of C. burnetii was demonstrated in all cases tested, especially in polym orphic lymphocytes. Also the presence of morphologically transformed p eripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) infected with C. burnetii was demon strated. In cultures of blood lymphocytes, C. burnetii-infected polymo rphic cells identified as B cells became immortalized in vitro. These findings implicate the role of C. burnetii in the process of PMR.