CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN PANCREATIC ADENOCARCINOMA CELL-LINE WITH HIGH METASTATIC POTENTIAL IN SCID MICE

The CD44 molecule and CD44 isoforms are expressed on some malignant tu mours and it has been suggested that their expression may correlate wi th tumour spread. Human pancreatic carcinoma Cell line (HPC-4) express ing CD44 was established from a patient with adenocarcinoma of pancrea s. This line showed a rapid growth in vitro, several chromosome abnorm alities and surface expression of some adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, LFA -3, beta 1-chain of VLA integrins, VNR). Xenotransplanted HPC-4 cells were able to grow rapidly in SCID mice as subcutaneous tumour, leading to 100% mortality within 3-5 weeks when 1 x 10(5)-1 x 10(7) cells wer e inoculated. Spontaneous metastases in the liver, lung, spleen and ki dney of SCID mice were observed. Interestingly enough, HPC-4 cells in vivo and ex vivo also expressed HLA-DR molecules, but these were rapid ly lost upon culture in vitro. It is suggested that the appearance of HLA-DR may be the result of interaction of the tumour with a local env ironment of the host, while CD44 expression may explain the rapid grow th and occurrence of distant metastases in SCID mice. The ability of H PC-4 cells to form spontaneous metastases in SCID mice may prove to be a potentially interesting model of human carcinoma for testing new tr eatment modalities.