THE HUMAN BONE-MARROW-DERIVED B-CELL LINE CE, SUSCEPTIBLE TO HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION

The euploid-diploid cell line CE, issuing spontaneously from a normal human bone marrow culture, displays B-cell differentiation and activat ion markers and is positive (greater-than-or-equal-to 90% of cells) fo r Epstein-Barr nuclear antigens. CE suspensions were inoculated with s erum from a patient chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). After inoculation, the cells were regularly subcultured with a split ratio of 1:2 every 4-6 days. RNA extracted as late as 65 days after in fection from the inoculated cells were positive by polymerase chain re action for the 5' untranslated region of the HCV genome, and viral ant igens were detected by immunofluorescence. Virus was also released fro m the infected cells into the medium. Intracellular HCV could be succe ssfully passaged twice in CE cultures. On the basis of these findings, the CE cell line appears promising as a model for studying HCV replic ation and persistent infection in vitro.