Four gastric carcinoma cell lines were established from one primary and three metastatic tumors. All lines expressed human form of the 4 enzyme tested and were free of contamination with mycoplasma or murine viruses. Population doubling times ranged from 26-47 h. Cloning efficiency ranged from 1.9-27%. Three of 4 cultures displayed both adherent and floating subpopulations. Cell line, NCI-N87, grew as adherent monolayers. We examined for expression of DDC, an enzyme characteristic of NE cells. Relatively high levels of enzyme activity (>10units/㎎ protein; 1unit = 1nM CO2/m) was detected in 2 lines but all lines didn`t show cytoplasmic dense core ("neurosecretory") granules, mRNA expression of chromogranin A, and didn`t reacted with natural killer cell antigens, Leu-7 and NKH-1. Double minute chromosomes(DMs) were found in all 4 cell lines. Homogeneously staining regions(HSRs) were present in the minor subline of SNU-16. One line, SNU-16, has c-myc gene amplification. N-myc, L-myc, myb and EGF-R gene were not amplified. All of 4 lines expressed c-myc mRNA and erb B mRNA. N-myc, L-myc, v-sis, IGF-2 and GRP were not expressed. In this report we describe the establishment and characterization of 4 continuous cell lines derived from human primary and metastatic gastric carcinomas. However a modest number of gastric carcinoma lines have been described, our report describes three interesting or unique features, including expression and secretion of high concentration of 3 gastrointestinal cell associated antigens; high frequency of expression of the NE cell marker DDC; and possibly unique line with c-myc gene amplification and subline having HSRs at 4 separate chromosomal locations.