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Evaluation of polyamine levels in cerebrospinal fluid of children with brain tumors

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Summary

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) polyamine levels were analyzed retrospectively in 21 pediatric patients with different types of intracranial malignant tumors to determine the benefit of following these markers during the clinical management of brain tumors. The tumors included 16 medulloblastomas and 1 each of germinoma, ependymoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, astrocytoma, and malignant teratoma. The clinical course of each patient was followed by neurologic examination, cranial computed tomography, CSF cell count, and cytology after cytocentrifugation. The correlation of CSF putrescine and spermidine levels with the clinical course of the brain tumors was analyzed. The following results were obtained: (1) A significant increase in CSF putrescine levels was observed in children with medulloblastoma when there was recurrent or metastatic disease in the sites close to the CSF pathway compared with the children whose disease status was stable after successful treatment (P < 0.005). (2) The increase of CSF putrescine levels was the earliest predictor of recurrence or metastasis near the CSF pathway. (3) In tumors other than medulloblastoma, the levels of polyamines were not predictive of disease activity with the possible exception of germinoma. (4) Spermidine levels in the CSF were of limited clinical importance for patients with brain tumors.

CSF putrescine levels may be the earliest and most sensitive quantitative marker of the progression of medulloblastoma, and their evaluation should be included in the diagnostic work-up and follow-up examination of children with medulloblastoma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, Texas

    Yoichi Takaue & Jan van Eys

  2. General Surgery/Surgical Research Laboratory, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, Texas

    Kenji Nishioka

Authors
  1. Yoichi Takaue
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  2. Kenji Nishioka
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  3. Jan van Eys
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Takaue, Y., Nishioka, K. & van Eys, J. Evaluation of polyamine levels in cerebrospinal fluid of children with brain tumors. J Neuro-Oncol 3, 327–333 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00165581

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