Erythrocyte polyamines and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
Polyamines play a role in cell proliferation and in cancer development: they are mainly carried by red blood cells (RBCs). Abnormally high polyamine levels in RBCs have been demonstrated in patients with various types of cancer and the prognostic value of RBC polyamine levels has also been underlined. Our aims were to compare polyamine levels in RBCs from colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRA) patients with those from non neoplastic patients and to evaluate the prognostic value of pre-treatment polyamine erythrocyte levels.


METHODS
Sixty-one patients with colorectal cancer and 28 surgical patients affected by non neoplastic diseases were included in this study. RBCs polyamine levels were evaluated by HPLC.


RESULTS
Significantly higher spermidine, spermine and total polyamine levels were found in RBCs from CRA patients compared to those from control patients. However, there was no significant difference in the survival of patients with different polyamine levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings show that RBC polyamine levels are not a biologic parameter that may help to discriminate between good and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients.
Laboratory of Biochemistry, I.R.C.C.S. S. De Bellis, Castellana G, BA, Italy.
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M
Linsalata
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S
Leo
V
V
Guerra
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A
Di Leo
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011073:Polyamines / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis
D011073:Polyamines