title: Brain function estimated from the ratio of glutamine to homocarnosine levels in cerebrospinal fluid.
abstract: The ratio of glutamine to homocarnosine (G/H ratio) in CSF of children with meningeal pathology or convulsions was measured and the following results were obtained. 1. The mean G/H ratio of normal subjects was 83.0 +/- 41.4. 2. The mean G/H ratios of the patients with bacterial meningitis and meningeal leukemia were 115.9 +/- 81.9 and 115.2 +/- 49.2, respectively. Significant differences were found between those in normal subjects and these diseases. 3. The mean G/H ratio of the patients with viral meningitis was 80.0 +/- 35.1 and no significant difference was found between normal subjects and these patients. 4. The mean G/H ratios in the patients with controlled versus uncontrolled epilepsy were 130.9 +/- 67.1 and 74.8 +/- 49.4, respectively. A significant difference was found between normal subjects and the patients with controlled epilepsy. 5. The mean G/H ratio in the patients with febrile convulsions was 46.5 +/- 6.3. A significant difference was found between normal subjects and these patients. These data suggest that a high G/H ratio in CSF may indicate the excited state of the brain.
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002336:Carnosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D005973:Glutamine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007938:Leukemia / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008581:Meningitis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D005973:Glutamine; C005038:homocarnosine; D002336:Carnosine