Novel cell lines derived by long-term culture of primary uveal melanomas.

AIMS

Uveal melanomas with or without monosomy 3 have different metastatic potentials. Therefore, it would be of great experimental importance to obtain cell lines of both groups - established and characterized under the same conditions.

METHODS

Long-term culture of biopsies derived from untreated primary uveal melanomas was performed, and the status of chromosome 3 in the tumour was determined. Characterization by immunocytochemistry and in vitro assays for cell migration, vasculogenic cord formation and proliferation were performed.

RESULTS

Establishment of cell lines succeeded in 6 out of 128 uveal melanomas. No histopathological feature was predictive for cultivation success. Two out of 4 cell lines derived from tumours with monosomy 3 were invasive in vitro. Both cell lines with disomy 3 showed higher proliferation levels (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The in vitro tendency for invasion did not correlate with the proliferative behaviour of uveal melanoma cell lines, but was partly associated with monosomy of chromosome 3.