Table 1

Surface phenotype and mammosphere culture of cells from pleural effusions

Sample
Average size of mammospheres (μm)
Population of CD44+/CD24low/- cells (percentage)

PE33
No mammospheresa
14.2
PE61
No mammospheres

PE70
No mammospheres
37
PE75
No mammospheres
62
PE77
No mammospheres
18.8
PE78
No mammospheres
10.4
PE89
No mammospheres




PE19
20
67.9
PE20
20
0.3
PE22
20

PE23
20
65
PE62b
20
13.2
PE63
20

PE88b
20
37
PE6b
30
1.5
PE79
40
4.8
PE11
50
26
PE43b
50
9.9
06PE5c
50

06PE7c
50




PE73
60
29.4
06PE4c
60
4.9
06PE8b,c
70
70.6
PE14b
100
Uncultured cells uniformly CD44- and CD24-
PE21
100
3.3
06PE6b,c
100
15.3
PE66b
130
6.85

Cells from pleural effusion (PE) samples taken from breast cancer patients were tested for their ability to form mammospheres. Uncultured cells were analysed for surface expression of CD24 and CD44 (Figure 3). a7/27 (26%) did not make mammospheres or could not be passaged beyond passage 2. bTested for tumorigenicity in severe combined immunodeficiency disease mice (Table 2). cFive samples obtained in 2006 were placed into culture without freezing. The other 22 samples obtained from 1977 to 1984 had been stored in liquid nitrogen.

Grimshaw et al. Breast Cancer Research 2008 10:R52   doi:10.1186/bcr2106