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Clinical relevance of polyamines
Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Polyamines like spermidine and putrescine are key biochemical markers. Monitoring their levels in urine and red blood cells accurately tracks cancer progression and treatment response, aiding therapy decisions.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Oncology
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, spermine) are established biochemical markers for normal and pathological growth.
- In malignancy, urinary spermidine correlates with tumor cell loss, while putrescine relates to cell cycle and tumor cell loss factor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate polyamine concentrations as predictive markers for cancer therapy response and disease activity.
- To explore the utility of polyamines in tumor staging and long-term patient monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of urinary polyamine concentrations (spermidine, putrescine).
- Measurement of erythrocyte spermidine concentrations.
- Correlation of polyamine levels with tumor kinetics and response to chemotherapy.
Main Results:
- A twofold increase in urinary spermidine within 72 hours of chemotherapy accurately predicts treatment response.
- Urinary putrescine aids in assessing early therapy response and detecting post-chemotherapy proliferation.
- Erythrocyte spermidine levels also reflect changes in tumor kinetics.
Conclusions:
- Polyamine determination in extracellular fluids and erythrocytes enables early assessment of therapy response, disease staging, and activity monitoring.
- Monitoring polyamines can potentially prolong survival and optimize cancer treatment regimens.
- Polyamines serve as crucial clinical markers for tracking tumor evolution and response in high-risk patients.