Karyotypic and phenotypic variations between cell lines established from a primary colorectal tumour and two...

In an attempt to characterise the mode of dissemination of colorectal carcinoma cells in host tissues, we established in vitro 3 human cancer cell lines isolated from a single patient: ALT-I from a primary colorectal tumour, ALT-F from the corresponding hepatic metastasis, and ALT-G from the lymphatic metastasis. The three cell lines exhibit variations in morphology, karyotype, antigens expression, anchorage-independent cell growth and tumorigenicity in nude mice related to their origin. Studies of the biological properties of these cell lines showed that the ALT tumour cells maintain, in vitro, some biochemical expressions, morphological properties and cytogenetic characteristics largely described for colon carcinoma in vivo. Significant increases of carcinoembryonic and CA19.9 antigens expressions were noted in the primary tumour cells as well as in the comparative metastatic ones. The karyotypes shared structural rearrangements and chromosome losses frequently described in fresh colorectal cancers, and revealed increasing alterations from the primary to the hepatic and lymph node tumours. Although the metastatic potential of the ALT cell lines was not demonstrated in the present paper, significant differences in the tumorigenic properties between the primary and the corresponding metastatic tumour cells were evident using in vitro and in vivo investigations. The present data support the hypothesis that, in our model, the hepatic metastasis might occur before or independently of the proximal lymph node metastasis originating from the colorectal carcinoma.