Fine Structure of Leukocytes in Infectious Mononucleosis: In Vivo and In Vitro Studies

The peripheral blood mononuclear cell population in patients with heterophile positive infectious mononucleosis is comprised of small and medium sized lymphocytes, monocytes, increased numbers of lymphoid-plasma (LP) cells, and large lymphocytoid cells with abundant polysomes. Cell-lines derived from these patients contain a spectrum of cells of the lymphoid plasma cell series. These cultures are morphologically indistinguishable from Burkitt lymphoma and leukemic suspension cultures. A large portion of the cells present in these continuous suspension cultures have fine structural features similar to phytomitogen stimulated lymphocytes, and to cells implicated in the immune response.