title: Establishment of a human B-cell tumor in athymic mice.
abstract: Human B-cell tumors have been established in athymic, BALB/c mice using the EBV-positive Burkitt lymphoma cell line Namalwa. One-hundred-one of 104 animals (97%) developed tumors 10-14 days following s.c. injection of a mixture of 20 x 10(6) Namalwa and 5 X 10(6) irradiated human fibrosarcoma (HT-1080) cells. Tumors developed at the site of injection and reached approximately 300 mm2 (product of cross-sectional diameters) after 21 days; no metastases were found. Histological analysis showed that tumors consisted solely of lymphoid cells. Immunofluorescence assays demonstrated that while 85% of the tumor cells retained reactivity with the monoclonal B-cell antibody BA-1, 96% retained reactivity with antibody BA-2 and 43% with BA-3. A similar reactivity profile was observed with cultured Namalwa cells. Tumors were passaged serially 10 times without significant change in BA-1, BA-2, or BA-3 reactivity. Indirect immunofluorescence demonstrated that antibody BA-2 reached tumor cells within 2 h following i.p. injection; antigen modulation was not observed. These results demonstrate the suitability of this B-cell model for testing the in vivo efficacy and stability of anti-B-cell immunoconjugates.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology*; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface