Specificity of adhesion between murine tumor cells and capillary endothelium: an in vitro correlate of preferential metastasis in vivo.

We have compared the rate and extent of adhesion of various types of mouse tumor cells to endothelial cells derived from different organ sources. Our panel of tumors has included sarcoma, bladder carcinoma, glioma, teratoma, hepatoma, endothelioma, mammary adenocarcinoma, and lymphoma cells. Endothelial cell monolayers have included murine microvascular endothelial cells from ovary, brain, lung, and liver as well as large vessel endothelium from thoracic duct and dorsal aorta. Tumor cells differ both in the adhesive propensity and adhesive preference for different endothelial cells. Some, but not all, of the adhesive preferences correlate with the known in vivo metastatic behavior of these tumors. Our results support the hypothesis that endothelial cell surface-associated specificities may play a significant role in determining the pattern of metastasis.