Elevated levels of polyamines and histamine in adenocarcinomas of the thyroid

The concentrations of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) and of histamine in normal and diseased thyroids were determined with an automated amino acid analyzer. A total of 39 specimens was investigated: 7 specimens of normal tissue, 6 adenocarcinomas, 2 specimens of tissues adjacent to adenocarcinoma, 13 specimens from treated Graves' disease, 7 follicular adenomas, 2 adenomatous goiters, and 2 specimens of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Mean putrescine levels in tissues from normal thyroid, adenocarcinomas, Graves' disease, and follicular adenoma were 26, 143, 20, and 12 nmol/g wet tissue, respectively. The mean levels of both spermidine and spermine were slightly but significantly higher in adenocarcinomas than in other thyroid tissues. The molar ratio of spermidine to spermine was about 0.5 both in the normal and diseased thyroid tissues, except for specimens of thyroiditis. Histamine was detected in 3 of the 6 cases of thyroid carcinomas, and in case of adenomatous goiter. The data suggest that measurement of polyamines, especially putrescine, may be useful for diagnosis of thyroid adenocarcinomas.