Urinary modified nucleosides as tumor markers in cancer of the urinary organs or female genital tract.

Using a sensitive and specific method involving high-performance liquid chromatography, urinary levels of four modified nucleosides - pseudouridine (Ψ), 1-methylinosine (mI), 1-methyladenosine (mA), and 1-methylguanosine (mG)-were investigated before and after treatment in 31 patients with cancer of the urinary organs or the female genital tract. Before treatment mI was the most frequently elevated nucleoside (77%). Pretreatment urinary levels of Ψ, mI, and mA in patients with stage 2-4 cancer of the female genital tract were significantly elevated compared to human healthy volunteers ( p<0.005). Compared with the other nucleosides, Ψ appeared to correlate more closely with the clinical outcome (progression or regression) of patients with cancer of the female genital tract. In the case of patients with cancer of the urinary organs, mI followed the clinical outcome better than the other nucleosides measured. Therefore Ψ and mI seem to be useful for monitoring genito-urinary cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]