In order to assess the involvement of the 13q14 region in the development of osteosarcoma, both osteosarcoma tumor cells and normal tissue from a retinoblastoma patient previously used in restriction fragment length polymorphism studies, and sarcoma cells and normal fibroblasts from other tumor patients, have been investigated with respect to esterase D (E.C. 3.1.1.1) expression and chromosome pattern. In spite of an increased number of apparently normal chromosomes #13, a 50% reduction in esterase D activity in osteosarcoma cells from the retinoblastoma patient was observed. This suggests that loss of the RB1 gene or an OSRC gene closely linked to the ESD and RB1 gene loci is involved in the development of the osteosarcoma tumor. No reduction in esterase D expression was seen in four other sarcoma cell lines.