COMPARISON WITH TISSUE LEVELS OF N1-ACETYLSPERMIDINE AND CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN (CEA) IN HUMAN COLORECTAL POLYPS

Tissue levels of N1-acetylspermidine, polyamines and CEA were measured in colorectal polyps, which had been either endoscopically polypectomized or surgically removed. The polyps examined were either adenomas with mild, moderate or severe dysplasia, or adenocarcinomas. Control mucosae were taken from macroscopically and microscopically normal regions of surgicallyremoved colorectal tissues.The colorectal polyps contained approximately 13-fold higher levels of CEA than control mucosae. The CEA levels of adenocarcinomas were twice as high as those of adenomas, though the difference was not statistically significant. The N1-acetylspermidine levels were significantly higher in severe dysplasia and adenocarcinomas than in control mucosae, and in adenomas with mild or moderate dysplasia. There was a significant positive correlation between the levels of N1-acetylspermidine and the size of colorectal polyps, whereas no significant correlation was found between the levels of N1-acetylspermidine and CEA. The results of the present study suggest that N1-acetylspermidine could be used as a more specific marker of colorectal adenocarcinoma than CEA.