A STUDY OF THE SILICON AND ALUMINUM INTERACTION WITH CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID PROTEINS

A precipitation experiment was performed with human cerebrospinal flui d (CSF) by adding to it aluminium and/or silicate ions. The aim was to elucidate their possible role in extracellular protein aggregation. T hree quite different pathological conditions were simulated, such as p redominance of Al (as in renal failure), predominance of Si (as in sil icosis), and coexistence of Al and Si (as in Alzheimer's disease). In all cases, precipitates formed immediately, decreasing IgG (up to 34%) and lowering the albumin content in CSF in the order silicate >> alum inium > aluminosilicate. Corresponding quantities of these proteins we re not found in the water soluble proteinaceous part of precipitates, suggesting that they are firmly embedded in inorganic matrices identif ied by FTIR.