Establishment of human adult tonsil cells in continuous culture and their virus susceptibilities.

Abstract

Summary1) A line of epithelial-like cells derived from tonsil tissue surgically removed from a normal adult female has been established in serial culture in the absence of human serum and maintained for over 40 passages over the course of a year. 2) Cytopathogenic effects in this line of tonsil cells were produced by 7 types of adenoviruses, 2 Coxsackie virus strains, 3 poliomyelitis prototype viruses, 2 Newcastle Disease virus strains, herpes simplex virus, mumps virus, vaccinia virus, and after adaptation, an intranuclear inclusion-producing agent resembling measles virus. No clear cut effect was seen with 6 other Coxsackie strains, 3 influenza prototype viruses, or hemagglutinating virus of Japan. 3) Simultaneous titration of several adenovirus, poliomyelitis, and Coxsackie virus strains in tonsil and HeLa cells gave high and comparable titers.