PHILADELPHIA-CHROMOSOME AS THE SOLE ABNORMALITY AND P210 BCR-ABL CHIMERIC PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN AN EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS-TRANSFORMED B-CELL LINE FROM A PATIENT WITH CHRONIC MYELOID-LEUKEMIA

A 'B' cell line, originating from a patient with chronic myeloid leuke mia and containing the Philadelphia chromosome, was established after Epstein-Barr virus transformation. The Philadelphia chromosome was the sole chromosomal abnormality in this line, designated as PhB1 cell li ne. In DNA hybridization studies we detected rearrangements in the bcr gene and in the immunoglobulin heavy chain joining region. The phenot ypes of the cells were typical of mature B cells expressing antigens C D19, CD20, CD22, CD23, CD39, HLADR, IgM, and kappa. The expression of the 210 bcr-abl chimeric protein was detected by means of an immunopre cipitate assay.