Epstein-barr virus transformed cell lines superinfected with a second virus

Abstract

A cell line transformed by EBV and infected with a virus, e.g., HIV, which cell line does not release extracellular virus, but which forms syncytia when 1) these cells are co-cultivated with lymphocytes permissive for HIV infection and 2) antibodies to HIV are not present (syncytia formation is specifically inhibited by antibodies by HIV). Syncytial formation induced by cell lines not producing detectable HIV provides a unique and less hazardous test for the detection of non-productive HIV infection as well as for the determination of antibody response to HIV vaccines.

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