A new myeloma cell line designated FLAM-76 was established from a patient with an aggressive nonsecretory plasma cell leukemia. The cell line exhibited morphologic features of flaming cells and contained an abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm with many dilated cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum. FLAM-76 cells were positive for cytoplasmic kappa (kapp)-type immunoglobulin but did not secrete it into the culture medium. The cells proliferated in the presence of exogenous interleukin-6 (IL-6) and more than 800 pg/ml of IL-6 was necessary for their continuous growth. The cells did not grow without IL-6, and they did not produce IL-6. Thus, the growth of FLAM-76 appeared to be regulated by the paracrine mechanism of IL-6. Alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) inhibited the IL-6-dependent growth of FLAM-76 in doses greater than 1000 U/ml. FLAM-76 cells expressed CD38 (OKT10) and cell adhesion-associated antigens such as CD44 and CD54 (ICAM-1). Chromosome analysis revealed FLAM-76 to have a hypodiploid chromosome constitution with t(11;14)(q13;q32) abnormality, which frequently is seen in neoplasms of B-cell origin. Immunoglobulin (JH and Ck) gene rearrangement (but no BCL-1 gene rearrangement) was found in this cell line.