CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NOVEL, PEDIATRIC HODGKIN-DISEASE-DERIVED CELL-LINE HKB-1

Background. A novel Hodgkin disease (HD)-derived cell line, designated HKB-1,was established from pulmonary HD of nodular sclerosing subtype of a 14-year-old girl. Procedure and Results. Immunophenotypically, H KB-1 cells are of B cell in phenotype, being also positive for markers CD15, CD25 and CD30. Transformation of the cell line by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was excluded by failure to detect EBV antigens and EBV DNA in cultured cells. Chromosome studies of HKB-1 showed a pseudodiploid karyotype with complex clonal structural aberrations. The detection o f a monoclonal immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement con firmed the derivation of the HKB-1 from the B cell lineage and its mon oclonality. HKB-1 produced high amounts of interleukin (IL)-6 as detec ted in culture supernatant whereas no secretion of IL-beta, IL-2, IL-4 , IL-10, IL-12 or interferon (IFN)-gamma was detected. Conclusions. Ou r studies indicate that this cell line is of tumor origin. Med. Pediat r. Oncol. 31:138-143, 1998. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.