Butyrylcholinesterase in lumbar and ventricular cerebrospinal fluid.
OBJECTIVE
This study establishes reference data for human lumbar CSF butyrylcholinesterase (E.C.3.1.1.8.) activity and investigates the enzyme activity in ventricular CSF. We comment on the relationship between CSF butyrylcholinesterase activity and other laboratory parameters.


METHODS
We investigated 64 lumbar CSF samples obtained from a clinically healthy population and 169 ventricular CSF samples collected from 90 neurosurgical patients.


RESULTS
The reference range we recommend for lumbar CSF butyrylcholinesterase activity is 5.4 to 17.0 nmol/min x ml. The majority of ventricular butyrylcholinesterase activities in our patient subset ranged up to 5 nmol/min x ml.


CONCLUSIONS
We established the relative influence of serum and CNS components on total CSF butyrylcholinesterase activity. The CNS fraction predominates the total butyrylcholinesterase activity in normal lumbar CSF. In ventricular CSF enzyme influx from serum outweighs the CNS component.
Kluge
W H
WH
Clinic of Orthopaedics, "Rudolf Elle" Hospital Eisenberg, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Germany. wolframkluge@compuserve.com
Kluge
H H
HH
Hochstetter
A
A
Vollandt
R
R
Bauer
H I
HI
Venbrocks
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase