Establishment of an Epstein-Barr virus-determined nuclear antigen-negative human B-cell line from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

A human B-cell line designated as BALL-1 was established from the peripheral blood of a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Neither Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) particles nor EBV-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) was detectable. The morphologic and growth characteristics were clearly distinct from those of numerous EBV-positive lymphoblastoid cell lines previously reported. BALL-1 cells probably originated from the donor's leukemia cells as judged from their cytogenetic, morphologic, and surface features. The BALL-1 line was the first EBNA-negative B-cell line established from ALL.