Biological characteristics and chemosensitivity profile of four human anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell lines

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a rapidly growing, aggressive neoplasm affe cting the elderly which does not respond to most of the therapies. We estab lished cultured cell lines from four untreated tumors. The cultures grew in a monolayer of spindle-shaped cells in three cell lines and of small polyg onal cells in one line, having relatively long doubling times and chromosom al abnormalities. The xenotransplantation of the lines in athymic nude mice produced tumors with a histology similar to the original tumors. The immun ocytochemical staining showed the expression of PCNA, HLA-class 1, cytokera tin, vimentin and FAS (fatty acid synthase) but not CEA, desmin or P-glycop rotein. The lines secreted TPA, IL-6, IL-8 and few or no thyroid-related ho rmones in the culture supernatant. One cell line produced G-CSF The chemose nsitivity assay revealed intrinsic drug resistance to nine out of 11 antine oplastic agents. The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PC R) detected MRP (multidrug resistance-associated protein) mRNA but not mdr (multidrug resistance protein)-1 and mdr-3 mRNAs. This finding indicates th at the multidrug resistance of these lines is mediated by a P-glycoprotein- unrelated mechanism. The RT-PCR also presented FAS mRNA in all the lines, a nd IL-6 and IL-8 mRNAs in some of the lines. (C) 2001 Editions scientifique s et medicales Elsevier SAS.