Cell proliferation profile of five human uveal melanoma cell lines of different metastatic potential.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to establish a proliferation profile of uveal melanoma cell lines, using different methods, and to compare it with their previously determined metastatic potential (MP).

METHODS

Four human uveal melanoma and one transformed human uveal melanocytic cell line were ranked according to proliferation profiles. The proliferation profiles of the cell lines were compared to their MPs, which were previously determined from an immunosuppressed rabbit model.

RESULTS

Ranking of the cell lines using pulse labeling with tritiated thymidine was similar to the MP of the cell lines.

CONCLUSION

The correlation between the proliferative rate of the uveal melanoma cell lines and their previously determined MP resulted in the proposal of a new classification scheme: high proliferation/high MP, low proliferation/low MP, and high proliferation/no MP. High proliferative capacity of a cell line did not necessarily confer MP; therefore, further cellular functions/adaptations must be required for tumor cell dissemination, survival, and growth at a metastatic site.