A new simple enzymatic assay method for urinary polyamines in humans.

Area of Science:

• Clinical chemistry
• Biochemical diagnostics
• Enzyme assays

Background:

• Polyamines are crucial biomarkers.
• Accurate measurement of urinary polyamines is needed for disease monitoring.
• Existing methods may be complex or time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, rapid enzymatic assay for total urinary polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, cadaverine).
• To evaluate the assay's utility as a marker for cancer detection and disease activity.

Main Methods:

• Hydrolysis of conjugated polyamines using acylpolyamine amidohydrolase.
• Separation of free polyamines via cation-exchange chromatography.
• Enzymatic determination of polyamines using putrescine oxidase and spectrophotometric measurement of hydrogen peroxide.

Main Results:

• The assay demonstrated high sensitivity in distinguishing cancer patients from healthy individuals and those with other diseases.
• Elevated urinary polyamine levels were observed in 72.6% of cancer patients.
• Serial studies showed a reduction in urinary polyamines post-successful cancer surgery.

Conclusions:

• The developed enzymatic assay is simple, rapid, and suitable for routine clinical use.
• Urinary polyamine levels serve as a valuable marker for disease activity in cancer patients.
• This method offers a promising tool for cancer diagnostics and monitoring.