Expression of tumor-associated antigens and kinetic profile of two in vitro human melanoma cell lines.

The growth characteristics and the antigenic profile of two human melanoma established cell lines in vitro are reported. The growth curves of the two cell lines show some peculiar features which are also detected in their DNA distribution content. In the late stages of growth, in fact, the cell DNA content resumes the initial distribution, suggesting a partial recovery of the cell proliferating potential. When the two cell lines were tested by indirect immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies to human melanoma associated antigens, a rather constant expression of these epithopes was observed.