ESTABLISHMENT OF A HUMAN HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA CELL-LINE RELEASING HEPATITIS-B VIRUS SURFACE-ANTIGEN

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 61  (6) , 648-654
Abstract
A new hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, DELSH-5, derived from operative wedge biopsy from a HBsAg [hepatitis B surface antigen] sero- and tissue-positive patient, was continuously propagated in vitro for nearly 22 mo. The cells not only resemble hepatocytes on light microscopy and EM examination but also possess biosynthetic markers of the latter such as albumin and .alpha.-fetoprotein which were demonstrated in the supernatant medium as well as in the tumor cell cytoplasm. Karyology of cloned cells shows moderate aneuploidy, the major model chromosome number being 61. Though in the initial few passages HBsAg could not be detected, from the 13th passage onwards this viral component could be consistently demonstrated in small amounts in the concentrated supernatant medium by the macro- and micro-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay techniques. The immunohistochemical techniques as well as EM failed to demonstrate any virus component inside the cell. The cell line reported here is apparently the third of its kind which will act as a useful laboratory model to obtain pure HBsAg and to study the hepatitis B virus liver cell interaction with particular reference to the oncogenic potential of the virus.