Plasma polyamine levels in patients with liver insufficiency
Desser, H.; Kleinberger, G.; Kläring, J.
Journal of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry 19(3): 159-164
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0340-076X PMID: 7229580 Document Number: 170764
Plasma polyamines (spermidine and spermine) and diamines (diaminopropane, putrescine and cadaverine) were determined after cold acid extraction of the blood plasma of patients suffering from severe liver insufficiency. Correlations were made with liver function tests, i.e., cholinesterase activity and normotest, a global test for the ability of the liver to synthesize the blood clotting factors II, VII and X. The plasma polyamine levels of patients were compared with those of a normal population. Relevant statistical approaches demonstrated a normal distribution of the values for the healthy control group and an abnormal distribution in the diseased group. Within both groups the polyamines were mutually linearly correlated with the exception of the putrescine-spermine pair in the normals and the diaminopropane/spermine pair in the patients. A comparison between the diseased and healthy groups demonstrated significant elevations of putrescine, cadaverine, and spermidine in the former. In 78% of the patients, at least 1 of the polyamines was abnormally elevated, whereas no elevations were observed in 22% of the cases. Putrescine, at concentrations up to 3 .mu.mol/l, and cadaverine up to 6 .mu.mol/l showed the highest elevations in comparison to normals (85.3 .+-. 35.3 nmol/l for putrescine and lower than 20 nmol/l for cadaverine). Spermidine, spermine and diaminopropane concentrations reached concentrations of .apprx. 1 .mu.mol/l, 500 nmol/l and 150 nmol/l, compared with the mean normal values of 94.6 .+-. 34.5 nmol/l, 39.8 .+-. 29.2 nmol/l and 16.9 .+-. 9.31 nmol/l, respectively. In patients, cadaverine is inversely correlated with the liver normotest, and spermine is directly correlated with cholinesterase activity. Liver involvement is discussed with regard to the value of polyamine levels as tumor markers. No definite conclusions can be drawn as to the cause of the polyamine elevations found in liver-diseased patients.