title: Urinary polyamine excretion patterns in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: Free and acetylated urinary putrescine, spermine and spermidine levels (UPA) and total polyamine excretion were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in 57 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and 43 control patients. Mean UPA levels were higher and the number of abnormal UPAs per sample greater for cancer patients but maximum single UPA sensitivity was only 29%. No control subject had more than 2 abnormal UPA values compared with 42% of patients with EOC. Rising UPA levels reflected progressive disease in 83% of patients and fell with tumour response in 66%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slack
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blackledge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D011073:Polyamines