Kinetic parameters of cell growth have been studied in cultured skin fibroblasts derived from individuals with hereditary adenomatosis of the colon and rectum. The growth parameters consisted of saturation density, plating density, cloning efficiency and colony-forming ability. The results suggest deployment of these selective assays to distinguish skin fibroblasts of presumptive ACR positive individuals from those of normal subjects in vitro. Cancer 43:218-223, 1979. UR INVESTIGATION ON heritable forms of 0 cancer in man suggests that nontumor cutaneous cells can possibly be utilized for the diagnosis of clinically latent manifestations of malignancy. Abnormal phenotypic expressions, heretofore only associated with chemical or viral transformation, have been identified in cultured skin fibroblasts derived from normal-appearing skin biopsies of tumorprone and tumor-bearing individuals with hereditary adenomatosis of the colon and rectum (ACR). These consisted of growth diso r d e r ~, ~, ' ~ augmented proteolytic activity,g310 cytoskeletal alterations" and increased sus- ceptibility to viral tran~formation.'~ Apparently, systemic disorders occurring within stromal cells of individuals at high risk of cancer are extensive. They are intrinsically linked to cancer and can be used in studies concerning cancer causation and cancer progression.6-10~12
The present report provides a kinetic analysis of contact-and serum-dependent regulation of cell growth. The experimental results describe the following growth properties of