[Determination of blood polyamines in patients with brain tumor -with special reference to relationship between varieties of tumors and concentrations of blood spermidine and spermine (author's transl)].

Examination of blood polyamines in 38 patients with brain tumor and 17 normal volunteers was carried out by columnar chromatography--cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis. The upper limits of the normal values; M.+2S.D. of the blood polyamine concentrations in 17 normal volunteers, were less than 2.1 mg/ml for spermidine, less than 1.6 mg/ml for spermine, and less than 2.2 mg/ml for spermidine plus spermine. The values of blood polyamines in 21 cases with glioma were significantly higher than those in normal subjects (p less than 0.01). And in 14 out of them, the concentrations of the blood polyamines were higher than the maximum normal value. In one case with reticulum cell sarcoma, the concentrations of the blood polyamines were remarkably increased. In 2 out of 4 cases with metastatic brain tumor the concentration of the blood polyamines were higher than the upper limit of normal amount, and values of the blood polyamines in 4 cases with metastatic brain tumor were significantly higher than those in normal volunteers (p less than 0.05). In none of 2 cases with pituitary adenoma, 3 cases with meningioma, 4 cases with neurinoma, one case with hemangioblastoma, and one case with pinealoma, the values of the blood polyamines were significantly higher than those in normal volunteers. The CSF samples obtained from 9 patients with brain tumor, consisted of 6 gliomas (glioblastoma multiforme 2, anaplastic glioma 4), 1 teratoblastoma, 1 von Recklinghausen's disease (neurinoma and meningioma), and 1 craniopharyngioma, were analyzed for detection of polyamines, but no detectable amount was present in those cases.