The Establishment and Characterization of a Human Acute Myelocytic Leukemia Cell Line, SH-2 Carrying t(16;17))(q24;q12) Translocation.

We report the establishment of a novel cell line from a patient with acute myelocytic leukemia. The initial growth of this cell line was dependent on the presence of the stromal cell and cytokine interleukine 3. Subsequently, a stroma and cytokine-independent cell line was established, named SH-2. The cell line has proliferated continuously in vitro for more than 24 months. The SH-2 cell line showed identical chromosomal alterations to that of the initial bone marrow aspiration specimen, demonstrated a t(16;17))(q24;q12) translocation accompanied by deletions of y and 17 and triple 19.Chromosome painting FISH and Multi-FISH conformed the karyotype.SH-2 cells expressed myeloid antigens CD13, CD33 and MPO, SH-2 co-expressed NK markers CD16 and CD56. The loss of one p53 allele were proven by chromosome painting, FISH. A point mutation of CAG to CAT at codon 576 of extron 5 in another p53 allele was found by direct sequencing of DNA. Neither Epstein-Barr virus nor mycoplasma was not detected in SH-2 cells. DNA fingerprinting confirmed the authenticity of the cell line. Cytokines of GM-CSF,IL-3,IL-6,SCF,IL-4 and IL-5 can improve the proliferation of SH-2. SH-2 has colony formality and tumorigenic capacity in nude mice. The breakpoints of chromosomes 16 and 17 were localized RP11-356C4(16q24.3)and between BAC clone RP1-161P9 and RP11-47L3 corresponding to 17q12. The establishment of an myelocytic leukemia cell line with t(16;17)(q24;q12) could be valuable for the study of leukemogenesis and for the research of cloning the new gene involved in the t(16;17)(q24;q12) translocation.