The secretion of insulin-like growth-factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) and expression of the genes encoding IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 have been studied in a panel of cell lines derived from breast carcinomas, Wilms' tumour, neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, colon carcinoma, liver adenocarcinoma, Burkitt's lymphoma and a non-small-cell lung carcinoma. All cell lines, with the exception of the Burkitt's lymphoma cell line, secreted IGFBPs, as detected by affinity labelling. A 34-kDa BP was present in the conditioned media of all IGFBP-secreting cell lines, whereas BPs ranging from 18 kDa to 53 kDa were variably secreted. All IGFBP-secreting cell lines expressed the IGFBP-2 gene as determined by Northern blot analysis. The Wilms' tumour, the neuroblastoma and the retinoblastoma cell line expressed the IGFBP-2 gene only. All other cell lines, with the exception of the Burkitt's lymphoma, expressed the IGFBP-2 gene and, in addition, either the IGFBP-1 gene and/or the IGFBP-3 gene. IGFBP-1 gene expression could be detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction only. IGFBP-3 gene expression was detected by Northern blot analysis, but transcripts were less abundant than IGFBP-2 mRNAs. These findings indicate that the expression of multiple BP genes and the secretion of BPs may be a common property of tumour cells.