Fluorescence Complement Fixation by Lymphoblastoid Cells

Summary

Lymphoblastoid cells from 11 different lines were subjected to a non-serum-requiring fluorescence complement fixation (NSR-FCF) test that utilizes only guinea pig complement and fluorescein-labeled anti-guinea pig β1c globulin. About 3–7% of EB3 Burkitt lymphoma cells and about 10–12% of cells of lymphoblastoid line IM964 were able to fix complement in the absence of any antiserum. The remaining lines yielded negative results. In double-staining experiments, all EB3 cells that fixed complement also contained Epstein-Barr (EB) virus. However, of the IM964 cells fixing complement, only 30–40% possessed the EB virus. No correlation could be found between the number of cells producing IgG, IgM, or IgA globulins and the number of cells positive in the NSR-FCF test. The close association of EB virus and complement fixation, plus the fact that complement fixation is not related to globulin production, suggests that the fixation of complement is due to an EB virus-related, antigen-antibody complex within and on the cells.