title: Levels of polyamines and nucleic acids in human breast carcinoma.
abstract: Polyamine and nucleic acid levels were determined in normal human breasts, in primary infiltrating ductal carcinoma breasts, in the uninvolved tissues of the same carcinoma-bearing breasts and in the urine of the same patients. The results showed that the production of polyamines in the carcinoma tissue is significantly higher than in normal tissue; the presence of a carcinoma in the breast does not modify the levels of polyamines and nucleic acids in the surrounding uninvolved tissue; spermidine and spermine are correlated both with DNA and RNA in the carcinoma; the urinary polyamine levels in the carcinoma-bearing patients were not significantly different from that of controls. There appeared to be a close relationship between polyamine biosynthesis and tumoral mammary cell development and a very fine control between the biosynthesis of both spermidine and spermine and nucleic acids. In addition, the localized solid breast carcinoma, with non-proven metastases, did not provoke an increase in polyamine excretion.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis* / Q000652:urine; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000032:analysis* / Q000652:urine; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011073:Polyamines / Q000032:analysis*; D011700:Putrescine / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D013095:Spermidine / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D013096:Spermine / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011073:Polyamines; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D013096:Spermine; D013095:Spermidine; D011700:Putrescine