This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kubota, K. Articles by Minowada, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kubota, K. Articles by Minowada, J.

Comparison between Agar and Methylcellulose Cultures of Human Leukemic Cells¹

Section of Cell Biology, Department of Medical Oncology [K. K., H. D. P.], and Cell Culture Laboratory [K. S., J. M.], Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York 14263

A comparison was made between the agar and methylcellulose culture systems with respect to their ability to support the clonal growth of leukemic cells obtained from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and chronic myelogenous leukemia in blastic crisis. The number of clusters and/or colonies formed and the morphology of the cells within them varied from patient to patient. Nevertheless, no significant difference between the two culture systems within given leukemic specimens was found. No significant differences were noted among three different conditioned media used as sources of colony-stimulating activity. Most of the cells within clusters and colonies were identified to be immature members of granulocyte-macrophage series or to be indistinguishable from the preculture leukemic blast cells by morphological and cell surface marker studies. Cells from myeloid crisis in chronic myelogenous leukemia grew well in the cultures, but cells from lymphoid crisis did not proliferate.

¹ Supported by USPHS Grants CA 5834, CA 24162, and CA 14413 from the National Cancer Institute and by Grant CH 168 from the American Cancer Society.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Medical Oncology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, 666 Elm St., Buffalo, N. Y. 14263.

Received 12/22/80. Accepted 4/22/81.