Changes in urine polyamines in childhood leukemias.

Urine polyamine:creatinine ratios (nm per mg) measured in eight children with active hematologic cancers were compared with those of age-matched controls and children with hematologic cancer in remission. Polyamine:creatinine ratios in the children with active disease were significantly higher than those of the controls (p less than 0.0025) and of the children in remission (p less than 0.0025). Putrescine:creatinine ratios were, in general, higher in children with hematologic tumors than in those with solid tumors. Urinary polyamines are thought to reflect variations in bone marrow polyamine content and have been postulated to be an indicator of clinical status.