The Release of Chromogranin A and B Like Activity from Human Lung Cancer Cell Lines: A Potential Marker for a Subset of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

Human small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is in vivo and in vitro characterized by a heterogeneous spectrum of neuroendocrine markers. the non-SCLC group is deprived of these markers, or expresses them in low quantities. in this paper we report on the release to the culture medium of neuroendocrine associated proteins, chromogranin A and B like activity (CABLA). the culture medium from three out of five SCLC cell lines and in onehive non-SCLC cell line contained significant levels of CABLA. Normal diploid foreskin fibroblasts and a histiocytic lymphoma cell line were deprived of CABLA production. the presence of CABLA in both SCLC and non-SCLC further stress their common histogenetic origin. the CABLA values were partly unrelated to other neuroendocrine markers. Determinations of CABLA could thus be a potential and valuable marker for a subset of SCLC.

Key Words:

• Lung cancer
• chromogranin A and B
• cell lines