Quantitative Comparison of Epstein-Barr Virus Receptor Expression on sIgM and sIgG Cell Lines and B-cell Lymphoma Biopsies

Over 50 B-cell derived lines and B-cell lymphoma and leukemia biopsies were screened for expression of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) receptor. The 13 sIgM-positive lines bound more than five times as much virus as the six IgG lines. Among the biopsies, the 17 sIgM, 11 sIgM and sIgD, and seven sIgG expressing biopsies were further divided according to expression of the C3 receptor. C3 receptor-positive biopsies, which expressed sIgM alone or along with sIgD, had the largest subpopulation of cells which expressed the EBV receptor (EBVR). C3 receptor-negative biopsies only expressed the EBVR on half as many cells as their C3 receptor-positive counterparts. However, the relative number of EBVR on individual EBVR-positive cells was independent of C3 receptor expression. Within the sIgG class, both C3 receptor-negative and positive cells expressed equally low levels of EBVR, both in terms of subpopulation and relative number of EBVR per positive cell. These results suggest that subpopulation expression of the EBV receptor is related to the C3 receptor but that relative number of receptors per cell is associated with sIg phenotype.