title: [Amino acids in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma: its usefulness in the study of neuropaediatric diseases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studying the amino acids in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is essential in the diagnosis of some neurological diseases and is an important aid in the diagnosis of others. No research has been published in the literature to prove the physiological relationship between the values of amino acids in CSF and plasma in the paediatric population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To define a set of ratios for amino acids in plasma and CSF in the paediatric population that can be used in daily clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aminograms in plasma and CSF of 105 patients with ages between 0 and 12 months were collected and analysed retrospectively. Aminograms with amino acid values that are considered to be normal according to the reference values of our laboratory were included in the sample. The quantitative analysis of amino acids was performed using high-resolution liquid chromatography and statistical analysis with the software application SPSS 19.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean values, range and standard deviation of the amino acid concentrations in plasma and CSF, together with the CSF/plasma ratios, are reported. Significant correlations were found from 0.6 onwards between different neutral amino acids, above all in those with smaller molecular weights (Thr, Ser, Gly and Ala).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The existence of significant correlations between the different neutral amino acids supports the idea that they share the same transporters in the blood-brain barrier. Standardising the amino acid ratios will make it possible to increase sensitivity in the detection of pathological values in plasma and CSF, to further knowledge of the pathophysiology of neurological diseases and perhaps to describe new aminoacidopathies.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Espana. erika.jimenezgonzalez@gmail.com
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ormazabal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Ortez-Gonzalez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Artuch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia-Cazorla
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campistol
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D021542:Amino Acids, Neutral / Q000097:blood / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006250:Hartnup Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D009421:Nervous System Malformations / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013129:Spinal Puncture
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D021542:Amino Acids, Neutral