Identity of tumorigenic human urothelial cell lines and 'spontaneously' transformed sublines

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, comparative marker chromosome analysis, and polymorphic enzyme analysis was carried out on a total of eight human urothelial cell lines and sublines selected according to our knowledge of their HLA-A,B phenotype. RFLP analysis and cytogenetic analysis showed that the cell lines Hu1703He, Hu1922, and T24 are genuine cell lines of different origin. The identity of Hu1703He could not be confirmed by its isozyme phenotype which was identical to the T24 phenotype. RFLP analysis and isozyme analysis revealed that three cell lines, Hu456, Hu549, and Hu961a, and two transformed sublines, HCV-29Tmv and Hu609Tmv, are sublines of T24. A common origin of Hu456, Hu549, Hu961a, HCV-29Tmv, and Hu609Tmv was confirmed by marker chromosome analysis. However, the T24 origin of these cytogenetically related cell lines was not supported by chromosome analysis of T24. RFLP analysis and HLA phenotyping of two tumorigenic and invasive sublines isolated from a culture of non-tumorigenic Hu609 cells showed that non-tumorigenic Hu609 cells can transform 'spontaneously' in vitro into tumorigenic Hu609T cells. The results emphasise the need for careful monitoring and screening of cell lines for their identity using more than one identification parameter.