BLAST-2 EBVCS, an early cell surface marker of human B cell activation, is superinduced by Epstein Barr virus.

Activation of human B cells by pokeweed mitogen (PWM), protein A, anti-IgM, or EBV infection results in the expression of a new surface antigen, termed BLAST-2 EBVCS. This marker appears before the cells undergo blast transformation as assessed by the initiation of DNA synthesis and expression of the BLAST-1 antigen. Thus, the BLAST-2 EBVCS antigen is expressed on both activated and lymphoblastoid cells. The antigen is, in addition, restricted to B cells, as it is not found on cells of T or myeloid lineage derived from peripheral blood, cell lines, or neoplastic cells. However, it is readily detected on chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells of B cell origin and in the germinal centers of tonsils and lymph nodes. Like the BLAST-1 antigen, BLAST-2 EBVCS is expressed at a high level only on EBV-transformed B lymphoblasts and has a m.w. close to 45,000. Immunoprecipitation experiments show, however, that the two antigens are expressed on distinct populations of molecules.