Immortalization of nasal polyp epithelial cells from cystic fibrosis patients.

We have developed immortalized epithelial cystic fibrosis (CF) cell lines by infecting cultured nasal polyp cells with a SV40/Adenol2 hybrid virus. The cell lines obtained are epithelial in nature as shown by cytokeratin production and morphology, although cytokeratins 4 and 13 typical of primary nasal polyp cells are produced at a much reduced rate. Ussing chamber experiments showed that the precrisis CF cell line NCF3 was able to perform trans-cellular chloride transport when activated by agents which elevate intracellular calcium. cAMP agonists had no effect on chloride flux in NCF3 as expected for CF cells. The apical chloride channels found with the patch clamp technique in NCF3 and in the postcrisis cell line NCF3A have a conductance similar to that of chloride channels found earlier in normal and CF epithelial cells. The channels show a delay in the onset of activity in off-cell patches and are not activated by increased cAMP levels in the cell. This indicates that immortalized CF epithelial cells will provide a useful model for the study of cystic fibrosis.