ORNITHINE DECARBOXYLASE AND POLYAMINES IN COLORECTAL NEOPLASIA AND MUCOSA

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and polyamines are intimately involved i n normal cellular proliferation and are likely to play a role in carci nogenesis. ODC activity and polyamine content were measured in tissue samples obtained during colonoscopy from 48 benign neoplastic polyps ( 20 tubular adenomas; 28 villous adenomas), 18 cancers (including 5 mal ignant polyps), and adjacent mucosa. ODC activity in polyp and cancer tissue specimens was higher than in adjacent mucosa in 75 and 83% of p airs, respectively. Similarly, putrescine, spermidine, and spermine co ntents were higher in the majority of polyps and cancers compared to a djacent mucosa. ODC activity and polyamine content in colonic mucosa f rom 10 patients without a history of colorectal neoplasia were not dif ferent from adjacent mucosal values in the patients with neoplasia. In conclusion, ODC and polyamines are elevated in the majority of colore ctal neoplasms, but amounts in normal mucosa do not differentiate betw een patients with cancer, benign neoplastic polyps, and normal subject s.