Cytogenetic characterization of a nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line and its subline.

Cytogenetic results of a nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell line NPC-TW039 and its subline NPC-TW039-N1, established from the nude mouse transplant, were reported. This is the third case of NPC presented with banded karyotype, to date, in the literature. A 3q + marker chromosome, with involvement of band q25 similar to that present in the two previously reported cases, was detected in most tumor cells from both cell lines. The structural chromosome abnormalities of NPC-TW039-N1 were similar to its original cell line, NPC-TW039, except that the subline lost one marker chromosome and gained a new one.