Establishment and characterization of four human bladder tumor cell lines and sublines with different degrees of malignancy.

We have established four human bladder tumor cultures, designated MGH-U1 to -U4 (also known as EJ, HM, RN, and RB in some previous reports). All have been grown in culture for over 30 passages and were free of Mycoplasma contamination. Characterizations of these cell lines were performed. These include isozyme profile, morphology with light and scanning electron microscopes, karyotype, growth rate, DNA content by flow cytometry, presence of cell surface ABH isoantigens, tumorigenicity in nude mice, lactic acid dehydrogenase isozymes, and colony formation in soft agar. Results obtained from these characterizations confirm that MGH-U1 and -U2 are sublines of a previously established bladder tumor cell line, T-24. These results also show that MGH-U3 and -U4, derived respectively from a grade 1 tumor and an urothelium biopsy with severe atypia, are likely to be independent human bladder cell lines and different from other transitional cell bladder carcinoma cell lines reported. The study further demonstrates that these four cell lines/sublines have different degrees of malignancy and a close correlation, in biological and malignant characteristics, between the cells in culture and those in the original tumors. Therefore these cultures may represent cells at different stages of malignant progression. These can be useful models for studies of the development and progression of bladder tumors and detection and treatment of bladder tumors of different grades and stages.