Evidence for metastatic heterogeneity of human renal cell carcinoma.

We determined whether human renal cell carcinoma (HRCC) is heterogeneous and contains cells with different metastatic properties. The parental SN12C line was established in culture from a surgical specimen of HRCC. Clonal populations of cells were isolated by a double-dilution technique. Cells from parental and 11 clonal lines were injected subcutaneously, intravenously, and into the renal subcapsule of nude mice. Seven of the 11 cloned lines differed significantly from the parent line in their ability to produce pulmonary metastases after renal subcapsule injection. These results indicate that this HRCC is heterogeneous for metastasis, and that the outcome of metastasis in nude mice is influenced by the site of implantation.