SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF LYMPHOBLASTOID LINES DERIVED FROM HUMAN ASTROCYTOMATA

Two immunoglobulin-producing lines of normal lymphoblastoid cells have been established from cultures of two human astrycytomata. These had the same characteristics as lymphoblastoid lines derived from normal human lymphoid tissue or peripheral blood. It is concluded that the lymphoblastoid lines are derivates of non-neoplastic lymphoid cells (perhaps of the B series), which were present as an infiltrate within the astrocytomata. Furthermore, the slow emergence of the lymphoblastoid cells in culture, their continuing requirement for feeder cells and their production of monoclonal rather that heteroclonal immunoglobulin are attributed to an artefact of growth conditions.