Abstract

For serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is not always elevated in recurrence or metastasis of colorectal carcinoma (CRC), activation of colorectal carcinoma cells by CEA may be selective. We have established and characterized two CEA-expressing colorectal carcinoma cell lines which were analysed in relation to the clinical course. Two cell lines originated from rectal carcinoma were cultured in DME enhanced media and subcultured by 40 and 55 times respectively. AMC 4 grew in an anchrage-independent with delayed cell doubling time (93 hrs), while AMC 5 did in an anchorage-dependent with normal doubling time (43 hrs). Tumorigenesis revealed infiltrative moderate-differentiated adenocarcinoma in AMC 4 and expansile well-differentiated adenocarcinoma in AMC 5. Karyotyping by Trypsin-Giemsa banding showed 47, XY, 21(+ ), del (2q, 5q) and 46, XY, 5(+ ), 20(+ ), 12(- ) respectively. Both cell lines were aneuploid. AMC 5 expressed large amount of 55 kD NCA as well as 180 KD CEA, but AMC 4 did traces of them by indirect immunofluorescence and immunoblot. AMC 5 cells bound optimally to solid-phase type IV collegen, laminin, and CEA by 18.7¡¾ 0.4, 21.4 ¡¾ 0.6 and 17.7¡¾0.4, while AMC 4 cells bound less. The patient of AMC 4 showed liver metastasis on 6 months after curative surgery and AMC 5 did no evidence of recurrence. In conclusion, biological characteristics of two CEA-expressing CRC cell lines seemed to be consistent with their clinical course.

• Keywords: Cell culture, AMC 4, AMC 5, Carcinoembryonic antigen