CYTOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF BC2, A NEW HUMAN HEPATOMA-CELL LINE, BY FLUORESCENT IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION

Cytogenetic analysis of a new human hepatoma cell line BC2 was perform ed with conventional cytogenetic techniques and fluorescent in situ hy bridization, Numerical and structural abnormalities were observed by c onventional cytogenetics for chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 17 and 20, Chromosome painting allowed to specify the translocation o f chromosome 1, and to characterize 3 markers from chromosome 8 and on e marker from 9, which were unrecognizable by conventional techniques, Comparison of chromosome 1 abnormalities with those reported in the l iterature for other human hepatoma cell lines showed that structural a bnormalities of chromosome 1 were present in different regions of this chromosome. A review of the literature was done, and the results disc ussed, suggesting that alterations of chromosome 1 may be important in hepatocarcinogenesis.