Phenotypic and cytogenetic characteristics of a new Epstein-Barr virus negative cell line (SKW 4) derived from a B-cell lymphoma

Human B-cell lymphoma cell lines are highly sensitive to apoptosis induced by all-trans retinoic acid and interferon-gamma

When cells were incubated in the presence of both interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), the concentration of IFN-gamma required to induce apoptosis of B-cell lymphoma cells was much lower than that required for myeloid or erythroid cell lines. The concentration of IFN-gamma that effectively inhibited the proliferation of BALM-3 cells was 1/40 of that required for BALM-1 cells. STAT-1 phosphorylation, IRF-1 mRNA and protein expression and RAR-beta expression were enhanced to a greater degree in BALM-3 cells treated with IFN-gamma and ATRA than in BALM-1 cells treated with IFN-gamma and ATRA, suggesting that these IFN-gamma related genes were involved in the induction of apoptosis of BALM-3 cells.

Expression of cell surface NM23 proteins of human leukemia cell lines of various cellular lineage and differentiation stages

Cell surface expression of NM23 protein is only observed on tumor cell lines, but not on normal cells. To examine what types of tumor cell line express the cell surface NM23 protein, we measured the cell surface NM23-H1 and NM23-H2 proteins of leukemia line cells on various cellular lineage and differentiation stages. The NM23-H1 was expressed on myeloid leukemia lines but not lymphoid lines, while NM23-H2 was only expressed on erythroleukemia lines. The complement-dependent cytolysis confirmed the expression of these proteins on the surface. Surface NM23-H1 and NM23-H2 proteins were decreased during in vitro erythroid and granulocyte differentiation. These results show that the surface expression of NM23 proteins is related to cellular lineage and differentiation stage of leukemia line cells.

Characterization and comparison of two newly established Epstein-Barr virus-negative lymphoma B-cell lines. Surface markers, growth characteristics, cytogenetics, and transplantability

Two Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-negative lymphoma B-cell lines, HBL-1 and HBL-2, were established from a pleural effusion and a lymph node biopsy of two patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma. HBL-1 and HBL-2 showed the characteristics of activated B-cells in B-cell lineage, as did original lymphoma cells. Chromosome analyses revealed that HBL-1 exhibiting 14q+ marker-positive lymphoid cancer showed a new subclass of 14q32 translocation resulting from a translocation between chromosomes 14 and 16, which had been masked in a complex translocation involving five chromosomes, and that HBL-2 had a 14q+ marker chromosome, the result of an 11;14 translocation [t(11;14)(q13;32)]. Successful heterotransplantation into athymic nude mice demonstrated tumorigenicity of HBL-1 and HBL-2. The transplantability and tumor growth rate of HBL-2 were higher and more rapid than those of HBL-1. HBL-1 and HBL-2 appear useful for facilitating therapeutic investigations as well as immunologic and oncogenic studies in B-cell lymphomas.

Production of chemokinetic inhibitory factor (CIF) by normal blood and spleen B lymphocytes

We have recently reported the partial purification and characterization of of a new lymphokine, the heat-labile chemokinetic inhibitory factor (CIF) which inhibits neutrophil movement. We have also shown that this lymphokine is produced and secreted by cultured B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) cells in vitro. The present study shows that highly purified resting normal B lymphocytes from blood and spleen have the capacity to produce CIF spontaneously. After activation with anti-IgM or EBV-infection the lymphocytes produced a number of other factors, heat-stable chemokinetic inhibitory factors and heat-labile chemokinetic enhancing factors. Supernatants from a collection of human B-cell lines representing different stages of B-cell differentiation were also investigated. None of these cell lines produced CIF. The present results show that the production of CIF is not restricted to the malignant B-CLL cell but is also produced by a subset of normal blood and spleen B cells.

The dynamic morphology of the transferrin-transferrin receptor system in human leukaemia/lymphoma cell lines and its relation to iron metabolism and cell proliferation

Some functional and morphological aspects of the transferrin-transferrin-receptor (Tf-TfR) system were investigated in 12 human haematopoietic tumour cell lines. The iron uptake ability, studied by 59Fe labelling, varied considerably between individual tumour cell lines. The studies of the morphology of the Tf-TfR system by fluorescence based methods using labelling by FITC-Tf, and by indirect immunofluorescence (OKT9 anti-TfR monoclonal antibody) demonstrated that the iron uptake was the result of receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME) of the Tf-TfR complex. The RME was better developed in the haemoglobin synthesizing K-562 cells than in the monocytic U-937 cells, suggesting that the intracellular iron processing capacity differs from cell type to cell type. The efficiency of iron-uptake, transport and storage was related to cell growth. Inhibition of growth by increasing cell densities or by drug treatments (phorbol ester TPA and difluoromethylornithine DFMO) was thus accompanied by a decrease in surface Tf binding, in cellular Tf handling capacity and in iron accumulation. TPA induced a redistribution of the TfR-pool to the intracellular space as demonstrated by morphology.

Use of novel chemical supplements in the establishment of three human malignant lymphoma cell lines (NU-DHL-1, NU-DUL-1, and NU-AMB-1) with chromosome 14 translocations

Three new cell lines have been established from patients with malignant lymphoma utilizing a human diploid feeder layer, pooled human serum, and the chemical supplements L-cysteine, iron-saturated transferrin, and bathocuproine disulfonate, a copper chelator. After a short period of growth, the 3 cell lines were successfully weaned from the feeder layers but continued to require human serum and the chemical supplements for up to 9 months of culture. The cell lines are currently grown in RPM1-1640 medium and fetal calf serum without further supplementation. The NU-DHL-1 cell line was established from the involved lymph node of a 73-year-old White male with diffuse large-cell lymphoma. The cell line expresses cytoplasmic IgM/lambda heavy and light chains, is Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-negative, and is positive for several B-cell markers, indicating that it is derived from a mature-B-cell neoplasm. The NU-DUL-1 cell line was established from the cerebrospinal fluid of a 42-year-old White male with undifferentiated lymphoma, non-Burkitt's type, who initially presented with a mediastinal mass and had subsequent involvement of the central nervous system. The cell line is EBV-negative, but surprisingly it is positive for early B-cell markers. The NU-AmB-1 cell line was established from the abdominal mass of a 12-year-old Hispanic male with undifferentiated lymphoma, Burkitt's type. The cell line is EBV-positive and expresses early B-cell markers. All 3 cell lines are aneuploid or pseudodiploid and contain chromosome 14q+ abnormalities including a newly described complex translocation t(?;1;8;14) in the NU-AmB-1 cell line. The establishment of these cell lines was made possible by refinements in the cell culture of the human malignant lymphomas. The availability of well-characterized lymphoma cell lines with specific chromosomal translocations will aid molecular and cellular studies designed to identify the biological significance of genomic rearrangements.