Direct and serial transplantation of Ph1-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia into nude mice.

A new Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1-positive) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell line was established in nude mice by direct and serial transplantation of peripheral blood leukemia cells from an adult patient. Although the patient's leukemia cells did not grow in vitro, they were successfully transplanted for 8 serial passages, giving rise to progressive growth of tumors with frequent involvement of lymph nodes, liver, spleen, bone marrow, and meninges. The tumor cells could also be passaged in an ascites form. This in vivo cell line, designated PALL-I, retained the Ph1 chromosome, t(9;22) (q34;q11), and pre-B-cell phenotype (SmIg-, CpIg-, CD10+, CD19+, OKIaI+, and CD38+), like the original leukemia cells. Molecular genetic analysis of PALL-I cells revealed neither bcr rearrangement nor 8.5-kb abI-related mRNA that is characteristically seen in Ph1-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Thus, the PALL-I cell line is genetically distinct from CML. It may provide a useful model for an understanding of the cellular and molecular biology of Ph1-positive ALL without classical bcr rearrangement.