LAUSR

Abstract Background prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common male cancer in the world, and it is one of the leading causes of mortality and momentous public health impact in many developed countries. Nowadays, PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test is used as a famous serum test for screening of prostate cancer. However, PSA test isnt sensitive and specific enough, because its high levels do not always indicate the presence of a malignant process in the prostate, and low - about its absence. Some studies suggest to use concentration of spermine in the urine as a novel noninvasive marker for PC diagnostics. Methods Male patients age 51-79 with prostate cancer (I-IV stage) were enrolled. Diagnoses of all patients were established at the National Cancer Institute (Kyiv, Ukraine). Spermine concentration was determined in the morning urine samples of 38 patients with malignant tumors (I stage - 16%, II - 45%, III - 24%, IV - 15%) before treatment, 12 patients with prostate hyperplasia and 12 healthy men by ELISA kit. Results It was found that concentration of spermine in the urine in patients with prostate cancer was lower by 7-34 times in comparison with healthy men and lower by 5-13 times than in patients with prostate hyperplasia. The same results were obtained previously in peripheral blood of PC patients by the high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Conclusion concentration of spermine in the urine shows potential to serve as a novel PC diagnostic non-invasive marker, which in turn can help to address the limited sensitivity and specificity problem of serum PSA test.