High predictivity of galactosyl-hydroxylysine in urine as an indicator of bone metastases from breast cancer.

We measured the urinary excretion of galactosyl-hydroxylysine (GH) and hydroxyproline in two groups of women with breast cancer, with (M+, n = 24) and without (Mo, n = 30) clinical, scintigraphic, or radiological evidence of bone metastases. Both these compounds are excreted in larger amounts in the M+ group than in the Mo patients. However, GH, which is a specific marker for bone collagen, provides better predictivity for bone metastases than does hydroxyproline: 92% sensitivity and 90% specificity vs 74% and 79%, respectively, for hydroxyproline.

High-performance liquid chromatographic preparation of galactosyl-hydroxylysine, a specific bone collagen marker.

Galactosyl-hydroxylysine, a specific bone collagen marker, has been prepared directly from human urine samples by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a preparative column. The compound is the didansyl derivative, as proved by HPLC and mass spectrometry under fast atom bombardment conditions. Since this compound is not commercially available, the procedure reported appears to be the simplest way to prepare it, which is necessary to measure the urinary excretion of this collagen metabolite by HPLC.

Urinary beta-1-galactosyl-0-hydroxylysine (GH) as a marker of collagen turnover of bone.

beta-1-galactosyl-0-hydroxylysine (GH) was measured in the urine of 59 women and 48 men, aged 30-79 years, by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) of the dansylated derivative. Vertebral mineral density, measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT), and urinary GH were inversely correlated (r = -0.74; P less than 0.

Determination of galactosyl hydroxylysine in urine as a means for the identification of osteoporotic women.

A sensitive and specific method is proposed to follow bone collagen degradation. The procedure consists of the measurement of galactosyl hydroxylysine (GH) in urine by HPLC. The aim of the work is to assess the predictive values of the method for the identification of post-menopausal osteoporotic women.