A NEW SIMPLE ENZYMATIC ASSAY-METHOD FOR URINARY POLYAMINES IN HUMANS

Google Scholar
  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (5) , 2363-2367
Abstract
A new simple enzymatic assay method for measuring urinary polyamines (total amount of putrescine, spermidine and cadaverine), using an acylpolyamine amidohydrolase and a putrescine oxidase was developed. First, conjugated polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and cadaverine) in urine were hydrolyzed by incubation with an acylpolyamine amidohydrolase at 30.degree. for 1 h. Then, free polyamines were separated by cation-exchange chromatography and incubated with a putrescine oxidase at 30.degree. for 30 min. H2O2 formed in this reaction was measured spectrophotometrically (at 514 nm). Polyamine levels in urine were determined in 70 normal subjects, 124 patients with cancer and 52 patients with diseases other than cancer. Elevation above 3 SD of the normal mean was found in 90 (72.6%) of the 124 patients with cancer and in 6 (11.5%) of the 52 patients with diseases other than cancer. Serial studies in 19 patients with cancer indicated that polyamines in urine were reduced after successful surgery. The new method is simple, rapid and very useful for routine clinical application. The determination of polyamine levels is useful as a marker of disease activity in patients with cancer.