RESUMEN
AIM: Eight melanoma cell lines were establi sh ed from human melanoma specimen and designated as HME 1-HME 8, and their charact eristics of cell biology and immunology in vitro were studied. METHODS: The tissues from biopsies of human melanoma were cultur ed in RPMI 1640 media. After growing to 90% confluence, the cells were detached for subculture and then their characteristics, including morphology, growth kine tic, tumor antigen and tumorigencity in nude mice were studied. RESULTS: These cell lines have been passaged more than 100 times within 2 years. Their characteristics demonstrated: ① The population doubling time calculated in the log phase of growth were 34.2-59.5 h. ② The cloning ef ficiency in soft agar averaged 8.6%-26.2%. ③ The melanoma cells transplan t ed in nude mice were high tumorigencity. ④ Karyo-type analysis showed that aneu ploidy with the modal chromosomal number 64-117. ⑤ Rich ribosomes and melanoid grains in the cytoplasm were observed under electronic microscope. ⑥ Immunohist ochemistry analysis showed that there were a lot of brown grains in the cytoplas m. ⑦ Detection of tumor-antigen demonstrated that melan-A antigen was 75.0%, M AGE-1 was 50.0%, MAGE-2 was 37.5%, MAGE-3 was 62.5%, respectively, for eight melanoma cell lines. CONCLUSION: The melanoma cells have immortalized after being cul tured in vitro and has specific characteristics of malignant melanoma.