1983 Volume 74 Issue 10 Pages 1749-1757
Polyamine levels (putrescine, spermidine, spermine) were determined in 6 normal bladder tissues and 33 transitional cell carcinomas obtained at operations. The concentrations of putrescine, spermidine and spermine in bladder cancers were significantly higher than those of normal tissues. In view of the relationship between Polyamine levels and histopathological grades, all of three polyamine levels of grade 1 tumors were significantly higher than those of normal tissues and, in addition, those of grade 3 tumors were significantly higher than those of grade 1 tumors. The ratio of putrescine to spermidine in grade 3 tumors was significantly higher than that in grade 1 tumors, while no difference in the ratio of spermidine to spermine was found among each provided groups according to malignancy grade. As far as the relationship between polyamine levels and histopathological stages, all of polyamine levels in low stage (≤p T1) tumors were significantly higher than those in normal tissues, and polyamine levels in high stage (>p T1) tumors were higher than those in low stage (≤p T1) tumors.
However, there is no remarkable difference on polyamine ratios among the normal tissues and all stage tumors.
In conclusion, polyamine levels of low grade and low stage bladder cancers were significantly higher than those of normal tissues and the increase of polyamine levels was parallel to the histopathological factors, especially to malignancy grade. Preliminarily, the relationship between the metastasis or intravesical recurrence of bladder cancers and polyamine levels was examined. In 5 cases of bladder cancers with metastasis and a case of intravesical recurrence, the ratio of spermidine to spermine was higher in 3 cases. Therefore, polyamine levels migh be one of the useful indicators for the prognosis of bladder cancers.
