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Alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric carcinoma: Biological properties of a cultured cell line

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Abstract

We describe a gastric carcinoma cell line that has been maintained in vitro for more than 10 years and retains the capacity to produce a large amount of alpha-fetoprotein. This cell line was isolated from a metastatic lymph node of a 63-year-old male patient with advanced gastric carcinoma (T2N3P0H0M0) who showed high serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein. The primary tumor was moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma and the lymph node was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma without any particular pattern. The cultured cells grew as densely packed islet-like colonies with small polygonal cells. Electron microscopy revealed cells abundant in cytoplasmic organelles, with some cellular attachments being tight with junctional complexes and some being loose across intercellular spaces. The free cell surface had microvilli. The population doubling-time was 152 h at passage 58. Chromosomal analysis revealed the modal number to be 77, with numerous karyotype abnormalities. The tumorigenicity of the cultured cells in athymic nude mice was positive only when they were subcutaneously transplanted beneath a plastic plate, but when the cells were transplanted subcutaneously or administered by intrasplenic injection in intact or weakly irradiated nude mice, no tumorigenicty was shown. The cell line produced tumor-associated antigens, such as alpha-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, and tissue polypeptide antigen. This cell line may be useful for comparative studies of different types of gastric carcinoma and alpha-fetoproteins of different origins.

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Author notes

  1. Morimasa Sekiguchi

    Present address: First Department of Surgery, Saitama Medical School, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama-machi, 350-04, Saitama, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shiroganedai, Minato-ku, 108, Tokyo, Japan

    Morimasa Sekiguchi & Yuzo Fujii

  2. Second Department of Pathology, Fukushima Medical College, 1 Hikarigaoka, 950-12, Fukushima, Japan

    Atsuko Saito & Toshimitsu Suzuki

  3. Electro-Chemical and Cancer Institute, 5-45-6 Kokuryo, Chofu-shi, 182, Tokyo, Japan

    Yasuko Shiroko, Hisayoshi Nakamura & Ken-ichiro Hasumi

Authors
  1. Morimasa Sekiguchi
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  2. Yuzo Fujii
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  3. Atsuko Saito
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  4. Toshimitsu Suzuki
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  5. Yasuko Shiroko
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  6. Hisayoshi Nakamura
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  7. Ken-ichiro Hasumi
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Sekiguchi, M., Fujii, Y., Saito, A. et al. Alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric carcinoma: Biological properties of a cultured cell line. J Gastroenterol 30, 589–598 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02367784

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02367784

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