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Attempts have been made to culture characteristic cells from biopsy specimens of 22 patients with Burkitt's lymphoma and have led to the development of a successful method. By this procedure, a strain of cells has been propagated by serial passage for more than 10 months in continuous culture. The cells grew as single, free-floating individuals or doublets without attaching to the glass; they were usually round and measured about 5 to 8μ in diameter. Some cells had one or more processes making them pear-shaped or elongated, and there were sometimes rare, larger, multinucleate, round cells. All these cells were identified as altered lymphoblasts because of their mode of growth and uniform morphology when stained. The large cells are believed to arise from the smaller by abnormal incomplete mitosis. The cell concentration varied during the period of culture from about 500,000 to 2,000,000 or more cells per ml, and the mean doubling time during phases of most active growth was as little as 48 hours. The methods used and the characteristics of the cells are described and their nature and significance discussed.
Epstein et al. (Mon,) studied this question.