Diagnostic Implications of Putrescine, Spermidine, and Spermine in Pleural Effusions | ||
| Bulletin of Egyptian Society for Physiological Sciences | ||
| Article 7, Volume 32, Issue 2, December 2012, Pages 89-100 PDF (188.63 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/besps.2012.35831 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Amal Baalash* 1; Bedir Ibrahim2 | ||
| 1Medical Biochemistry Department, Tanta University, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta, Egypt. | ||
| 2Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Tanta University, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Pleural effusions are caused by a wide variety of diseases. It is important to elucidate their precise etiologies to differentiate benign from malignant effusions. The polyamines are important molecules governing cell proliferation, survival and apoptosis. Consistent with their elevated levels in cancer, it seemed probable that patients with active cancer might have elevated levels of these compounds in some of their body fluids. The aim of the present study was to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of measuring pleural effusion concentration of the polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) for discrimination of malignant and benign pleural effusions. Patients and Methods: Pleural effusions were collected from 138 consecutive patients in whom the diagnosis was confirmed with cytological and/or histological examinations. Cytological samples were classified as malignant (n=78) and benign (n=60). Polyamines concentrations were measured using the ion exchange chromatography method. Results: The results showed that the levels of the three polyamines were significantly higher in malignant pleural effusions when compared to the benign effusions. Conclusion: The polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are of great value in the diagnosis of malignancy and may be used as an adjunct to cytological findings in determining malignant pleural effusions. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Polyamines; Pleural effusion; Malignancy | ||
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