title: Cerebrospinal fluid myelin basic protein in hydrocephalus.
abstract: Immunoreactive myelin basic protein (MBP) levels were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples taken from 57 patients with active hydrocephalus (age range 3 weeks to 60 years). Of these patients, 28 (49%) had elevated MBP values (greater than 4.5 ng/ml). Elevated MBP levels were found in 44% of patients with congenital hydrocephalus, 75% of patients with posttraumatic hydrocephalus, 80% of patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus, and 83% of patients with porencephaly. Also associated with abnormal MBP levels was the ventricular size as measured by computerized tomography scanning (chi 2: p less than 0.05): 36% of the patients with small ventricles (ventricle:brain ratio 0 to 0.4:1) had elevated MBP in the CSF, whereas 61% of those with moderate ventricles (0.41 to 0.6:1 ratio) and 100% of those with large ventricles (0.61 to 0.85:1 ratio) had abnormal values. Only 33% of those with maximal hydrocephalus (0.86 to 1.0:1 ratio) had elevated MBP levels, perhaps because of dilution effects. In three patients in whom CSF was obtained simultaneously by ventricular and lumbar punctures, the ventricular fluid had a consistently higher concentration of MBP, suggesting a cerebral origin. It is concluded that active hydrocephalus produces significant periventricular demyelination, probably as the result of mechanical stretching.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D004676:Myelin Basic Protein