POLYAMINES AS NEW POTENTIAL BIOMARKERS FOR DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF PROSTATE CANCER AND ESTIMATION OF ITS...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Prostate cancer (PCa) is a prevalent malignancy in aging men, necessitating effective diagnostic and prognostic markers.
• Tissue markers are crucial for understanding tumor proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and therapy resistance in PCa.
• Polyamines (PAs), including spermine, spermidine, and putrescine, are of significant interest as potential PCa tissue markers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify basic and acetylated polyamines in postoperative prostate tissue samples.
• To differentiate between malignant (PCa) and benign (BPH) prostate tumors using PA levels.
• To assess the potential of PAs in evaluating PCa aggressiveness.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 57 prostate adenocarcinoma samples (varying Gleason scores and clinical stages) and 20 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) samples.
• Quantification of polyamine content using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
• Statistical analysis to correlate PA levels with tumor type, stage, and Gleason score.

Main Results:

• Spermine (Spm) showed the most significant difference between PCa and BPH, with Spm levels 16 times lower in PCa (p < 0.01).
• No significant correlation was found between PA levels and clinical stage (T1-T4).
• A strong association was observed between Spm levels and Gleason score (GS); higher GS correlated with lower Spm levels.

Conclusions:

• A marked decrease in spermine levels appears characteristic of malignant prostate tumors.
• Spermine levels in prostate tumors are associated with Gleason score, suggesting a role in PCa aggressiveness.
• Spermine levels show promise for differential diagnosis and assessing the aggressiveness of prostate cancer.