A CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) cell line was established from the mononuclear cells isolated from pleural effusion of a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The cell line's biological characteristics were analyzed. The results showed that the established cell line could survive and proliferate in RPIM 1640 medium; the Wright-Giemsa-stained cells were exactly similar to malignant cells of CD30+ ALCL in morphology, with many diffuse virus granules in cytoplasm; the cytochemical staining of the cells showed the following reactivity pattern: positive for acid phosphatase (ACP) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), negative for peroxidase (POX), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and platelet peroxidase (PPO). The immunoprofile of the cells was positive for CD45, HLA-DR, CD30 and negative for EMA, CD34, CD38, CD2, CD3, CD4, CD7, CD8, CD10, CD15, CD19 and CD20. The cytogenetic analysis showed complicate d qualitative and quantitative abnormality of chromosomes, without typical t(2;5). It is concluded that the established cell line is CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma cell line.