Cell line derived from a metastasis of a human testicular germ cell tumor.

A cell line, designated 833K-E, has been established from a metastasis of a human testicular germ cell tumor that consisted of four histological types of tumor cells. The 833K-E cells have morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of epithelial cells and a hyperdiploid karyotype indicative of their human male origin. The cells grow in agar cultures and produce in nude mice tumors which have the hstological features of embryonal carcinoma without differentiated elements. Many of the cells express a stage-specific mouse embryonic antigen, and low levels of the major histocompatibility antigens and beta 2-microglobulin also were detected on a large percentage of the cells. A lymphoblastoid cell line (833K-LC) established from the same tumor specimen expresses major histocompatibility antigens and beta 2-microglobulin but does not express the embryonic antigen.