The clinical significance of determination of red blood cell and urinary polyamines in gynecologic malignancy

The polyamines, spermidine (spd) and spermine (spm), and their diamine precursor, putrescine (put) were separately determined in red blood cells. (RBC) and 24-hour urine samples of gynecologic malignant and non-malignant cases using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. The results are as follows: Patients with malignancy (49 cases) had the polyamine levels of RBC-spd; 5.85±3.32 (mean ±SD), RBC-spm; 7.00±5.53 (nmol/ml packed RBC), urinary put; 3.92±4.13, urinary spd; 2.17±1.74 (mg/day) in pre-therapeutic state. These levels were greatly higher than those of control cases. The diagnostic rate was 100% in the fourth stage of uterine cervical cancer, and 80% in the recurrent cases. Patients with long-term abnormal polyamine levels had the tendency of poor prognosis. In many cases, RBC polyamines and urinary polyamines showed somewhat different fluctuations in the course of treatment. In conclusion, it is suggested that the measurement of polyamines is very useful in the diagnosis of progressive cases and recurrent cases, and can be helpful in the evaluation of therapeutic effects and prognosis.