title: Beta-trace protein in cerebrospinal fluid: a blood-CSF barrier-related evaluation in neurological diseases.
abstract: Beta-trace protein concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum from 113 patients with various neurological diseases and 65 controls were determined with a sensitive and specific immunonephelometric assay. In adult control patients, beta-trace concentrations were 14.6+/-4.6 mg/L in CSF and 0.46+/-0.13 mg/L in serum, that is, 32-fold higher in CSF. beta-trace levels in CSF correlated with age as well as with the albumin CSF/serum ratio (Q(Alb)), which is considered a measure for blood-CSF barrier function. The relationship between CSF beta-trace levels and elevated Q(Alb) values was studied in various neurological diseases with CSF protein increase. In spinal canal stenosis, CSF beta-trace (mean=29.5+/-10.5 mg/L) correlated positively with increasing Q(Alb) values. In bacterial meningitis, CSF beta-trace (mean=8.7+/-3.9 mg/L) remained invariant to changes of Q(Alb) values. In Guillain-Barré syndrome, CSF beta-trace (mean=14.4+/-6.8 mg/L) was below the Q(Alb)-dependent reference range. In multiple sclerosis and viral meningoencephalitis, beta-trace levels were within the reference range. Beta-trace concentration in CSF can be used in conjunction with Q(AlB) to distinguish between different neurological pathologies associated with CSF protein increase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tumani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nau
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Felgenhauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; D054834:Lipocalins; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D012016:Reference Values; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D001609:Beta-Globulins; D054834:Lipocalins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C022466:prostaglandin R2 D-isomerase