The clinical value of urinary polyamine analyses in cancer patients.

The polyamines, putrescine (P) and spermidine (S), have been measured in 185 cancer patients. Patients in remission exhibited significantly different levels from those with active disease. In a dynamic patient study, followed over a period of 5-6 months, the urinary polyamine levels correlated closely with the clinical status. Furthermore, polyamines have been measured 24 h before beginning chemotherapy (P1, S1) and 48 h after its onset (P2, S2). The value of the ratio, (S2/P2)/(S1/P1), was found to correlate with the type of response to chemotherapy.