Establishment and characterization of a cell line, KaMi, from human lung large cell carcinoma

A cell line of human lung large cell carcinoma (LCC) was established directly from the metastatic skin tumor tissue. The clinical course of the patient who carried this carcinoma was peculiar; generalized lymphadenopathy, histologically resembling Hodgkin's disease, was found as the first clinical symptom. The lung tumor was not discovered until the time of autopsy. This cell line (KaMi) grew adherent to culture vessels with the population doubling time of 20.6h, formed colonies in soft agars with efficiency of 22.6%, and formed tumors in athymic nude mice. The authenticity of KaMi was confirmed by chromosomal analysis and isoenzyme patterns. KaMi cells bore a strong resemblance to the original tumor cells which were composed of small spindle cells, large polygonal cells, and multinucleated giant cells. Immunohistochemically, KaMi cells showed a weak tendency to differentiate to squamous cells, and these immunohistochemical reactivities were almost compatible to those of the original tumor cells, but ultrastructurally, KaMi cells were more immature than the original ones. Treatment with several reagents could not augment a differentiation of KaMi cells. Cytokeratin profiles showed a tendency of squamous cell differentiation. KaMi cells may aid in elucidating the pathogenesis and biology of LCC and its relationship to other lung tumors.