CHARACTERIZATION OF A HUMAN MYXOID MALIGNANT FIBROUS HISTIOCYTOMA CELL-LINE, OH931

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), the most common soft-tissue sarc oma of late adult life, includes several histopathologic subtypes. The myxoid MFH subtype is characterized by the presence of abundant mucop olysaccharide within a loose connective tissue stroma. Although the my xoid variant is typically distinguished clinically by its better progn osis, we report a case of myxoid MFH that exhibited an aggressive phen otype with early metastases and death. A cell line, OH931, was establi shed from this myxoid MFH. The primary tumor, OH931 cell line, and cel ls recovered from tumors generated in nude mice shared similar morphol ogic features, including the continued production of abundant mucopoly saccharide. Cytogenetic analysis of the primary tumor and a subsequent ly established cell line (OH931) revealed a complex hypertriploid main line. Chromosomal breakpoints involved in all three specimens analyzed (diagnostic biopsy, definitive surgical, and cell line) included 1p33 , 1q21, 2p14, 4p15, 5q13, 12q13, 14p13, 15p13, 19q13 and 20q13.1. The OH931 cell line, which appears to maintain its peculiar characteristic s in vitro, should be useful in studies investigating the role of muco polysaccharide production in the process of neoplasia. (C) Elsevier Sc ience Inc., 1997.