Correlation between polyamines and apoptosis among Egyptian breast cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
The polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, play an important role in cell proliferation, differentiation, and transformation. The aim of this study is to correlate the polyamines with apoptosis and clinico-pathologic events in Egyptian breast cancer patients.


METHODS
PUT, SPD, and SPN were investigated using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and apoptosis in fresh frozen tissue specimens obtained from 40 patients suffering from breast cancer, as well as 20 patients with benign breast lesions.


RESULTS
The levels of PUT, SPD, and SPN were higher in breast cancer tissues than in benign breast lesions (p < 0.001). Polyamines were correlated well with apoptosis. Moreover, PUT was an independent prognostic factor for relapse. Also, SPD and SPN correlated significantly with early tumor grades. ROC curves were used to choose the best cut-off values for polyamines (70, 135, and 290 mmol/g tissue) for PUT, SPD, and SPN, respectively. At these cut-off values, the sensitivities were (75%, 60%, and 70%), and the specificities were (80%, 95%, and 95%) for PUT, SPD, and SPN, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Polyamines may be used as additional markers for detection of malignant transformation in breast tissue. Moreover, because of their ability to induce apoptosis in malignant tissues, polyamines are suitable targets for therapeutic intervention that is specifically directed to induce apoptosis.
El-Salahy
Eman Mahmoud
EM
Medical Biochemistry Department, Ain Shams Faculty of Medicine, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt. Eman_EL_Salahy@hotmail.com.
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D015317:Biogenic Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003619:Dansyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D015317:Biogenic Polyamines; D003619:Dansyl Compounds