Elevated polyamine content in erythrocytes of malignant lymphoma patients

The polyamine content in erythrocytes was determined in an attempt to establish a biological marker of tumor growth in patients with malignant lymphoma. Erythrocytes from 24 patients with malignant lymphoma and 40 healthy controls were subjected to polyamine determination, using high-performance liquid chromatography. The spermidine and spermine levels in normal human erythrocytes were 15.06 +/- 3.61 and 8.79 +/- 3.12 nmol/10(10) cells, respectively. Spermidine and spermine levels in erythrocytes of lymphoma patients were 14.16 +/- 4.99 and 13.06 +/- 5.37 nmol/10(10) cells in the stage I and II groups, 21.25 +/- 3.80 and 14.17 +/- 6.11 in the stage III groups, and 34.17 +/- 10.37 and 24.39 +/- 16.08 in the stage IV group, respectively. The levels of both polyamines were significantly elevated (P < 0.005) in erythrocytes of stage IV patients, while those of stage I and II patients were within the normal range. Serial studies in 8 patients indicated that the levels of both polyamines in erythrocytes correlated well with the clinincal state. Thus, the determination of polyamines in erythrocytes should be clinically useful to determine the state of progression of malignant lymphoma.