Cytochemical, cytogenetic, immunophenotypic and tumorigenic
characterization of two hairy cell lines
GB Faguet, KL Satya-Prakash and JF Agee
Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta.
Two cell lines (EH and HK) were derived from two patients with hairy cell
leukemia (HCL). Both patients exhibited a clinical picture characteristic
of HCL, including splenomegaly, cytopenias, and tartrate- resistant acid
phosphatase (TRAP)-positive "hairy" lymphocytes in blood and marrow. EH and
HK were demonstrably of B lineage, as judged by cytochemistry and
immunophenotype, including expression of B1, B2, and LEU-12 antigens and of
monoclonal surface immunoglobulins (slgs). Monoclonality was confirmed by
clonal karyotype abnormality demonstrated in cell line HK. HCL parentage
suggested by cytochemistry and electron microscopy was confirmed by the
immunophenotypic observation that HCL lines expressed antigens alpha
S-HCL1, alpha S- HCL3, and cCLLa. While alpha S-HCL1 and alpha S-HCL3 are
nonspecific, their co-expression is characteristic of HCL cells. The cCLLa
is a novel 69-kd membrane HCL-associated polypeptide antigen not shared by
circulating normal T or B lymphocytes nor by malignant cells from unrelated
lymphoid or nonlymphoid malignancies. The doubling time of EH and HK was 24
and 36 hours, respectively. While HK included a small subset of
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen-positive cells, EH cells were
homogeneously negative for the presence of this antigen. Both cell lines
were consistently implantable in irradiation- preconditioned
immunodeficient mice giving rise to primary tumors and widespread
metastasis.
Volume 71,
Issue 2,
pp. 422-429,
02/01/1988
Copyright © 1988 by The American Society of Hematology
