We first established a sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, designated as SH-J1, and applied comparative genomic hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome painting probes for the characterization of the chromosomal rearrangements. In the SH-J1 cell line, the pleomorphic spindle cells were arranged in bundles of interlacing patterns and were positive in immunohistochemical staining with hepatocyte-related markers. By G-banding and FISH, the chromosomal gains were detected at 6p and 17, whereas losses were observed at 3p21-pter, 3q27-qter, 4, 6q, 13pter-q11, 16, 18, 19p13, and Y.