Abnormalities of tau-protein and beta-amyloid in brain ventricle cerebrospinal fluid.
OBJECTIVE
Determination of various biomarkers, such as beta-amyloid, tau-protein, phosphorylated tau-protein in CSF and their sensitivity and specificity in neurodegenerative brain processes, in particular Alzheimer Dementia (AD), has been recently investigated to monitor their abnormalities in the CSF at early stages of diseases before the clinical manifestation.


METHODS
In the pilot group of our patients (10 men / 5 women) who underwent a drainage neurosurgical procedure for diagnosis of hydrocephalus, CSF was obtained from the brain ventricles and the influence of a different compartment of the CSF on the level of biomarkers, tau-protein and beta-amyloid, was investigated.


RESULTS
The mean tau-protein level for all 15 patients was 812.0 pg/ml, with median value 363.7 pg/ml; while mean beta-amyloid level for all 15 patients was 526.7 pg/ml, with median value 239.5 pg/ml, respectively. The abnormal tau-protein and beta-amyloid levels were found in the subgroup of patients in whom hydrocephalus was caused by a severe pathological process, such as brain tumor. The beta-amyloid values were significantly lower also in comparison with our previously published results in patients with AD in the CSF obtained by lumbar puncture in the spinal canal.


CONCLUSIONS
CSF in the brain ventricles is theoretically more stable and the values in this CSF probably provide more reliable informations for clinical diagnostic procedure than those for the CSF obtained by lumbar puncture in the spinal canal.
Talab
Radomír
R
Department of Neurology, Charles University in Prague, School of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, University Hosptial, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. talab@fnhk.cz
Valis
Martin
M
Rehak
Svatopluk
S
Krejsek
Jan
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000737:chemistry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055815:Young Adult; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D016875:tau Proteins