Cytological Studies on the Persistent Infection in HeLa Cell Cultures with Hemadsorption Type 2 Virus

Being infected with HA 2 virus which had been propagated in monkey kidney cell cultures, HeLa cells were made as a carrier state. Initiation of persistent infection was found to be readily reproducible. The persistently infected cultures were maintained as their non-infected counterparts on the same schedules and using the same medium as long as 9 months up to now, in spite of frequent refeeding and reseeding of the cells.The growth rate of these cells on glass surface was almost equal to their counterparts. Acid production was found to be higher than that of normal HeLa cells. When the amount of virus released into a medium was assayed, the growth of virus was found to be parallel to the growth of the cell. Practically all of the cells were found to reside viral antigens when examined with fluorescent antibody and to have a particular surface in adsorbing guinea pig red cells. Enumeration of infectious centers with dispersed cell suspension of the culture gave concordant answer. Thus all of the cells in carrier state should be understood as infected persisently. At any stage of cellular division, antigen distribution inside the cell was found.Inclusion bodies associated to these cells were found to be of RNA character. Antigen accumulation was found in this particular place. Inhibition of mitosis was not found when examined morphologically. Whether the system is able to be cured with antibody was left for further investigation.