Fc gamma receptors are expressed on human neuroblastoma cell lines: lack of correlation with N-myc oncogene activity.

FcRs (Fc Receptors) have been detected on the cell surface of two human neuroblastoma cell lines; IMR 32 and SK-N-SH, by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometric analysis, using a previously characterized polyclonal antiserum raised against the Fc gamma R isolated from a human CLL line (Gorini, Medgyesi, Garavini, Dorrington and Down, 1987; Rozsnay, Sarmay, Szabo, Medgyesi, Gorini and Gergely, 1990). FcR is expressed on all the cells of both lines at least at the same level as on the HL60 promyelocyte cell line used as positive control. Two electrophoretic components displaying apparent molecular masses of 70 and 43 kDa respectively have been identified by SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting analysis of crude cell membranes. In addition, "in situ" hybridization experiments seem to exclude a correlation between FcR expression and N-myc oncogene activity. The presence of FcR in neuroblastoma could be related to a possible functional role even on these cells which do not belong to the immune system; moreover, they could also be exploited for a diagnostic characterization of this tumor.