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ORNITHINE DECARBOXYLASE IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD AS A POTENTIAL MARKER OF CANCER PROGRESSION: NEW OPPORTUNITIES

ORNITHINE DECARBOXYLASE IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD AS A POTENTIAL MARKER OF CANCER PROGRESSION: NEW OPPORTUNITIES

ISSN 2223-6775 Ukrainian journal of occupational health Vol.21, No 4, 2025

https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2025.04.317

ORNITHINE DECARBOXYLASE IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD AS A POTENTIAL MARKER OF CANCER PROGRESSION: NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Samoylenko О.А. 1, Verbinenko А.V.1, Ganusevich І.І. 1, 2

1R.E. Kavetsky Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology, NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv

2SI «Institute for Occupational Health of AMS of Ukraine», Kyiv

Full article (PDF), UKR

Introduction.The search for minimally invasive biochemical indicators capable of reflecting the course of oncological diseases remains an important task of modern oncology. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key regulatory enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis, has been shown to be involved in tumor-associated metabolic alterations; however, its activity in peripheral blood as a marker of tumor progression has not been sufficiently characterized.

The aim of the research – to evaluate ornithine decarboxylase activity in plasma and erythrocytes of peripheral blood in patients with colorectal cancer, taking into account body mass index and metastatic status, and to assess its potential as a biochemical marker of disease course.

Materials and methods of the research. ODC activity was determined in plasma and erythrocytes of peripheral blood from patients with colorectal cancer with and without distant metastases, as well as from healthy donors. Patients were stratified according to body mass index. The ratio of ODC activity in plasma to erythrocytes (Pl/Er) was calculated as an additional indicator.

Results. ODC activity in plasma was significantly increased in colorectal cancer patients compared with healthy donors regardless of metastatic status. The Pl/Er ratio demonstrated changes depending on the extent of tumor spread and was reduced in patients with metastatic disease. Elevated body mass index was associated with increased plasma ODC activity independent of tumor dissemination.

Conclusions. ODC activity in peripheral blood reflects systemic metabolic alterations associated with oncological disease and may serve as a minimally invasive biochemical indicator of tumor course. The Pl/Er ratio represents a promising parameter for assessing disease progression and warrants further investigation in broader oncological cohorts.

Keywords: ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), peripheral blood plasma, erythrocytes, polyamine metabolism, oncological diseases, biochemical markers, disease course, body mass index.

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