The significance of chromosomal findings for the differentiation between lymphoma and lymphoblastoid cell lines.
Cytogenetic studies have been performed from four Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines, one cell line obtained after successful xenotransplantation of a Burkitt's lymphoma cell line into athymic nude mice, and from ten lymphoblastoid cell lines (three derived from umbilical cord blood cells, one from acute myelogenous leukemia and six from Hodgkin's disease specimens). Our findings indicate the non-neoplastic nature of lymphoblastoid cell lines in spite of their high proliferative activity in vitro and their aneuploidy after long-term cultivation. In contrast, cell lines of Burkitt's lymphoma origin apparently are truly malignant lymphoma cells, characterized by aneuploidy and by the presence of a 14q+-marker chromosome even in the EBV-negative cell lines. The 14q+-marker chromosome, observed in Burkitt's lymphoma as well as in other malignant lymphomas, seems to be related to neoplasia, independent on the presence of EBV. The significance of the aneuploidy for the differentiation between lymphoma and lymphoblastoid cell lines is discussed.
D000782:Aneuploidy; D000818:Animals; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002460:Cell Line; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000235:genetics*; D025063:Chromosome Disorders; D002901:Chromosomes, Human, 13-15; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051379:Mice