Establishment of a human leukaemic cell line (CMK) with megakaryocytic characteristics from a Down's syndrome patient with acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia

Abstract

A new megakaryoblastic cell line (CMK), which also exhibits erythroid and myeloid markers, was established from a Down's syndrome patient suffering from acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia. The CMK cells were found to be positive in reactions with anti-platelet antibodies (anti-glycoproteins IIb/IIIa and Ib, and Plt-1). Platelet peroxidase (PPO) reactivity was found to be associated with the nuclear envelope and the endoplasmic reticulum but not with the Golgi apparatus. Some cells possessed cytoplasmic granules with the characteristics of alpha-granules and demarcation membranes. Karyotyping revealed near-tetraploidy (modal chromosome number of 95; ranging 87-98) and a translocation der(17)t(11;17), also found in the original leukaemic cells, confirming that the cells were derived from the patient's malignant blasts. The CMK cells were also found to be positive in reaction with anti-glycophorin A antibody, as well as with anti-myeloid antibodies (MY4, MY7 and MY9). Treatment of CMK cells with phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) greatly enhanced the reactivity with anti-platelet antibodies, increased the number of cells in which cytoplasm was dissociated into numerous segments and suppressed the reactivity with anti-glycophorin A. The proliferation of CMK cells was stimulated by interleukin-3 (IL-3) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulation factor (GM-CSF). This cell line should be a useful tool for analysing the basis of the afferent association between megakaryoblastic leukaemia and Down's syndrome, as well as for further study of megakaryocytic differentiation.