Chromosomal progression of malignant human gliomas from biopsy to establishment as permanent lines in vitro.

Karyotypes of four malignant human gliomas were followed from direct preparation and/or short-term culture through their establishment in vitro to determine whether the cultured cells maintained the original karyotypes, or were the products of selection, progression, or alteration in vitro. The karyotypes of these four human glioma-derived cell lines showed the same evolutionary pattern consisting of a doubling of the stem line or a closely related population; one line changed ploidy again to near-pentaploid. Marker types seen originally were generally retained, but new markers were acquired in the later passages. We concluded that the eventual chromosomal compositions of these four human glioma-derived cell lines were the products of karyotypic evolution, rather than simple selection of a minor population of polyploid cells.