Attempt to infect nonmalignant nasopharyngeal epithelial cells from humans and squirrel monkeys with Epstein-Barr virus.

With the use of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), attempts were made to infect epithelial nasopharyngeal explant cell cultures prepared from nonmalignant human and squirrel monkey tissue. Explants were exposed to EBV from both HR-1 and B95-8 cells and examined for EBV-specific antigens by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Among the human specimens, no epithelial nasopharyngeal were found that could be infected with EBV. However, similar explants derived from squirrel monkey tissue were infected. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that EBV can infect at least certain explanted epithelial cells of the nasopharynx.