Breast Tumor Cell Lines From Pleural Effusions2

TLDR

During 1973, four new epithelial tumor cell lines were isolated from pleural effusions of breast cancer patients. The authors isolated three lines—MDA‑MBC‑134 (mean chromosome 43), MDA‑MBC‑175 (mean chromosome 49), and MDA‑MBC‑231 (chromosome 65–69)—from pleural effusions, obtaining the same cell type from 4 of 10 effusions for MDA‑MBC‑134 and 6 of 8 for MDA‑MBC‑175. Pleural effusions provide a rich, viable source of breast tumor cells for in vitro study, yielding large amounts, minimal fibroblast contamination, and allowing sequential sampling; the derived lines varied between patients but were consistent within sequential samples, and were free of viruses or mycoplasmas.

Abstract

Summary During 1973, 4 new epithelial tumor cell lines were isolated from pleural effusions from breast cancer patients. We describe 3 of these lines: MDA-MB-134, with a mean chromosome number of 43; MDA-MB-175, with a mean chromosome number of 49; and MDA-MB-231, with a mean chromosome number between 65 and 69. We isolated the same cell type from 4 of 10 effusions from MDA-MB-134 and from 6 of 8 effusions from MDA-MB-175. We found that pleural effusions as a source of breast tumor cells to be cultured and studied in vitro have the following advantages: 1) large amounts of material and the possibility of obtaining sequential samples from the same patient; 2) high viability of tumor cells; 3) scarcity or absence of fibroblasts; and 4) the possibility of separating the tumor cells from other “contaminating” cell types by differences in their speed or degree of attachment to the flask. All lines from different patients differed, as seen grossly and microscopically. All lines from sequential pleural effusions from the same patient were apparently alike. No viruses or mycoplasmas were detected in any line.