Multivariate analysis of urinary RNA catabolites in malignancies: cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Urinary RNA catabolites, especially modified nucleosides and nucleobases, have turned out to represent valuable new criteria for diagnosis and follow-up of malignancies. Here we show for the first time that multivariate analysis of urinary RNA catabolites can distinguish between tumor carriers and controls who, if examined by univariate procedures, would remain undifferentiated. Two such models have been demonstrated. We hope that a continuation of this work will support primary clinical diagnostic procedures, the control of therapy effects, and the long-term follow-up of patients, which should be regarded as special medical applications of the general principles of molecular biology.