DISTRIBUTION OF SPERMIDINE AND SPERMINE IN BLOOD FROM CYSTIC-FIBROSIS PATIENTS AND CONTROL SUBJECTS

Abstract

The spermidine-to-spermine (Spd/Spm) ratio in whole blood of cystic fibrosis homo- and heterozygotes is abnormal. To investigate Spd and Spm distribution among blood components, blood was fractionated using Rabinowitz''s glass bead technique and Boyum''s Ficoll-Hypaque method. Free (unconjugated) polyamines were extracted with prechloric acid and quantitated on an amino acid analyzer. In controls, mean .+-. SE of the mean concentrations in nmol/109 cells of Spd and Spm, respectively, were 1.02 .+-. 0.08 and 0.894 .+-. 0.28 for erythrocytes; 126 .+-. 31 and 357 .+-. 105 for lymphocytes; 36 .+-. 16 and 240 .+-. 33 for granulocytes; and < 0.5 and < 0.5 nmol/ml for plasma. Greater than 90% of Spd and over 70% of Spm in whole blood was associated with erythrocytes. While the higher cellular concentration in leukocytes was not unexpected, the fact that Spd and Spm in whole blood were primarily associated with erythrocytes was a new finding. Comparison with controls revealed that the Spd/Spm ratio in both whole blood and erythrocytes was significantly higher in the group of cystic fibrosis patients.