Specific Urinary Metabolites in Malignant Melanoma

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Lithuania), 2019-05, Vol.55 (5), p.145
• Main Authors: Valko-Rokytovská, Marcela, Hubková, Beáta, Birková, Anna, Mašlanková, Jana, Stupák, Marek, Zábavníková, Marianna, Čižmárová, Beáta, Mareková, Mária
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid; 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid; Adult; Aged; Biomarkers, Tumor - analysis; Biomarkers, Tumor - urine; Female; homovanilic acid; Homovanillic Acid - analysis; Homovanillic Acid - urine; HPLC; Humans; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid - analysis; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid - urine; Indican - analysis; Indican - urine; Indoles - analysis; Indoles - urine; indoxyl sulphate; Male; malignant melanoma; Melanoma - physiopathology; Melanoma - urine; metabolite; Middle Aged; tryptophan; Tryptophan - analysis; Tryptophan - urine; urine; vanilmandelic acid; Vanilmandelic Acid - analysis; Vanilmandelic Acid - urine
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144; 1010-660X
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina55050145

Melanin, which has a confirmed role in melanoma cell behaviour, is formed in the process of melanogenesis and is synthesized from tryptophan, L-tyrosine and their metabolites. All these metabolites are easily detectable by chromatography in urine. Urine samples of 133 individuals (82 malignant melanoma patients and 51 healthy controls) were analysed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The diagnosis of malignant melanoma was confirmed histologically. Chromatograms of melanoma patients showed increased levels of 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid, vanilmandelic acid, homovanilic acid, tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, and indoxyl sulphate compared to healthy controls. Concentration of indoxyl sulphate, homovanilic acid and tryptophan were significantly increased even in the low clinical stage 0 of the disease (indoxyl sulphate, homovanilic acid and tryptophan in patients with clinical stage 0 vs. controls expressed as medium/ interquartile range in µmol/mmol creatinine: 28.37/15.30 vs. 5.00/6.91; 47.97/33.08 vs. 7.33/21.25; and 16.38/15.98 vs. 3.46/6.22, respectively). HPLC detection of metabolites of L-tyrosine and tryptophan in the urine of melanoma patients may play a significant role in diagnostics as well as a therapeutic strategy of melanoma cancer.