Characterization of a small-cell-lung-carcinoma cell line from a patient with cancer-associated retinopathy

We examined the biologic properties of a small-cell-lung-carcinoma (SCLC) cell line (designated MN-1112) established from a patient with SCLC who showed paraneoplastic retinopathy syndrome. Morphologic and immunocytochemical analyses showed that MN-1112 cells possess features of the classic type of SCLC. MN-1112 cells grew in suspension forming relatively large clumps of cells with a doubling time of 72 hr. By light-microscope examination, the cells were relatively small and had scanty cytoplasm. The cells produced NSE, ACTH and CK (BB isozyme); they also expressed recoverin, a novel photoreceptor protein, detected by Northern-blot and Western-immunoblot analysis using human-recoverin-specific DNA probe and anti-bovine-recoverin polyclonal antibody. This report shows that human recoverin is expressed in cultured SCLC cells. Our results support the hypothesis that, in cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) patients, auto-immune antibody targeting for ectopic recoverin in SCLC is initially produced and cross-reacts with the retinal protein, resulting in the retinal degeneration that occurs in CAR patients.