Characterization of cell surface antigens expressed in the HMA-1 breast cancer cell line.

This report describes the characterization of an estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell line, HMA-1, established from a breast cancer patient, based on the expression of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), the HLA-DR antigen, and the c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene product. In flow cytometric and immunohistochemical analyses, HMA-1 was found to express increased levels of several TAAs including MUC1, TAG-72 (sialyl Tn), Tn, T, sialyl Le(a), Le(x), and Le(y). HMA-1 also expressed enhanced levels of the HLA-DR antigen and c-erbB-2 protein. These results indicate that HMA-1 is a unique cell line with abundant TAAs which may serve as an appropriate breast cancer cell line for application in the multidisciplinary research of breast cancer.