CHARACTERIZATION OF CELL-LINES ESTABLISHED FROM MERKEL-CELL (SMALL-CELL) CARCINOMA OF THE SKIN

Six cell lines have been established from different biopsies of the ra re small-cell skin cancer of neuro-endocrine origin known as Merkel-ce ll carcinoma (MCC). These were established from metastatic lesions and have now been in culture for periods varying from 1 to 3 years. All l ines grow as suspension cultures and exhibit typical MCC cytological f eatures of small round cells with little cytoplasm, round nuclei and t ight junctions. There was variation in the number and size of nucleoli and dense-core granules. We present details of their immunohistochemi stry and growth characteristics in culture. The latter were similar to small-cell lung-cancer (SCLC) lines and can be subdivided, by their a ppearance, into type I, type II and type III in the same way as SCLC l ines. This classification may be of significance for the prognosis and management of MCC. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.