Elevated contents of spermidine and spermine in the erythrocytes of cancer patients

Red blood cells (RBC) from 69 patients with advanced cancer and 37 healthy controls were subjected to polyamine determination by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The polyamine contents in normal human RBC were spermidine 15.04 +/- 3.63 nmol and spermine 8.82 +/- 3.12 nmol per 10(10) RBC. Spermidine and spermine levels in RBC were elevated in patients with cancer (p less than 0.005). Serial studies in seven patients with cancer indicated that both polyamines in RBC were reduced after successful surgery. Our data indicate that the determination of polyamine levels in RBC is clinically useful as a marker of disease activity in patients with cancer.