Hodgkin's disease: establishment and characterization of four in vitro cell lies

Four in vitro cell lines (L 428, L 439, L 538, and L 540) were established from different materials of three patients with Hodgkin's disease: pleural effusions, peripheral blood, and bone marrow. The histological diagnosis was confirmed in all cases by several independent histologists. All four cell lines have been in culture for over 6 months up to over 3 years. The neoplastic nature of the culture cells is indicated by the demonstration of several structural and numeric chromosome abnormalities associated with a monoclonal pattern of marker chromosomes. EBV-specific antigens (EBNA, VCA) were not detected in either cell line. Ia-like antigens, receptors for human T cells, acid phosphatase, and acid esterase were showen to be present in the cultured cells. All cell lines lacked surface or cytoplasmic Ig, HTLA, receptors for C3b, C3d, IgG-Fc, mouse E or sheep E, and were devoid of lysozyme, peroxidase, and chloracetate esterase. The described features do not represent B cells, T cells, myeloid cells, monocytes, or macrophages. The morphology and the marker pattern of the culture cells, however, is identical with that of freshly obtained Hodgkin's (H)- and Sternberg-Reed (SR)-cells, except for the lack of CIg in the in vitro cells, which is explained by the culture conditions. Heterotransplantation in nude mice was achieved by intracranial inoculation and by s.c. transplantation of cultured cells embedded in a plasma clot. The described findings suggest that these cultured Hodgkin's cell lines are indeed derived from H and SR cells. The cellular origin of these cells is not clear, the loss of cellular differential markers during the process of possible dedifferentiation is discussed.