[Prostatic tumors. Detection by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of plasma lipoproteins]

Recently, there has been interest over detection of malignant tumors by water-Suppressed Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1 HNMR) of plasma lipoproteins (N. Engl. J. Med., 1986, 315, 1369-76). We performed a similar prospective and blinded study comprising 75 subjects; 40 control (C), 15 untreated prostate cancer patients (PC) and 20 patients with benign prostate tumors (BT). We measured the parameter W 1/2, as mean of the full width at half height of the resonances of the methyl and methylene groups of the lipids of the plasma lipoproteins which is inversely related to the spin-spin apparent relaxation time (T2*). W 1/2 values were determined at a fixed baseline of 310 Hz. The W 1/2 mean values were 37.6 +/- 3.7 Hz for C, 37.4 006 5.2Hz for PC and 36.4 +/- 3.9 Hz for BT, essentially identical for all three groups. Furthermore, no difference was seen between any group on scatter pattern that could serve as a basis for a useful detection test. The major difficulty in the determination of W 1/2 was due to interference of metabolite protons (lactate) within the lipoprotein resonance signal. There was no correlation seen between W 1/2 triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and (LDL + VLDL)-cholesterol levels. We conclude the Water-Suppressed 1HNMR Spectroscopy of plasma lipoproteins as performed, is not a valid method for detection of prostate cancer.