Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
1999-1-12
pubmed:abstractText
Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) are essential for the proliferation of normal and neoplastic cells, and have been repeatedly recommended as tumor markers, with contrasting and elusive results. In the present study the urinary excretion of free and acetylated polyamines was measured in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cirrhotics and control subjects. Separation and quantification of dansyl-derivatives of free, acetylated and total polyamines was performed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The results show that the urinary excretion of total, free, and acetylated polyamines is significantly higher in HCC patients than in cirrhotics and controls (p < 0.001). The N1/N8 acetyl-spermidine molar ratio was found to be higher in HCC patients than in cirrhotics and controls (p < 0.001). No correlation was found between urinary excretion of polyamines and serum alpha-fetoprotein, tumor size and severity of liver cirrhosis. The results show that increased urinary excretion of free and acetylated polyamines, as well as an altered N1/N8-acetyl-spermidine molar ratio, is a sensible but not specific feature of HCC patients; polyamines may play a role in human carcinogenesis, but their determination does not seem reliable for the early detection of liver cancer.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0393-6155
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
13
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
92-7
pubmed:dateRevised
2004-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:articleTitle
Urinary excretion of free and acetylated polyamines in hepatocellular carcinoma.
pubmed:affiliation
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Federico II University, Napoli, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article