RED-BLOOD-CELL POLYAMINES AS BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS OF SUPRATENTORIAL MALIGNANT GLIOMAS

  • 1 January 1987
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 7  (1) , 33-38
Abstract
Data obtained during post-surgical monitoring (2 to 28 months) of 32 histologically confirmed malignant supratentorial glioma patients are reported here. It was observed that: (1) whatever the grade of malignancy, 100% of the patients whose tumor recurred showed, on at least one occasion, abnormal red blood cell (RBC) spermidine (SPD) (> 14 nmoles/8.109 RBC) or spermine (SPM) (< 2 nmoles/8.109 RBC) levels. (2) 30% of the patients whose tumor recurred had abnormal RBC polyamine concentrations, one to six months before any other sign of tumor progression. (3) In patients with normal RBC polyamine values, clinical and tomodensitometric indications of tumor progression have to be reconsidered. (4) During individual follow-up, RBC SPD levels of each patient were generally significantly correlated to those of SPM, and the slopes of their straight regression lines (SRL) appeared to be related to the importance of the intracranial cell proliferation. In such conditions we established the regression equation of the group of all recurring patients taken together. We propose a graphic model, including a space corresponding to RBC SPD and SPM levels observed in case of tumor recurrence, which can be utilized routinely in neurooncology during the monitoring of post-operative malignant supratentorial glioma patients.