N1, N12-diacetylspermine in human urine: Performance as a tumor marker, quantification, production, and excretion

Abstract

N1, N12-Diacetylspermine (DiAcSpm) is a minor polyamine component of human urine. DiAcSpm levels are frequently elevated in the urine of patients suffering from various cancers, including colorectal, breast, urogenital, and lung cancer. DiAcSpm is an attractive candidate for use as a tumor marker because elevated levels of urinary DiAcSpm occur more frequently in the early stages of cancers compared to other tumor markers. To facilitate the clinical application of DiAcSpm in cancer diagnosis, simple procedures using highly DiAcSpm-specific antibodies have been developed, including a kit based on colloidal gold aggregation adapted for use with an automatic biochemical analyzer and an immunochromatographic device intended for personal use. Recent studies have shown that DiAcSpm levels increase in cancer tissues early in the course of cancer development and are excreted in the urine without being reabsorbed from the renal tubules: this explains why urinary DiAcSpm levels are elevated in patients with early-stage cancers.