CAPILLARY-ZONE ELECTROPHORETIC ANALYSES OF THE PROTEINS AND AMINO-ACID COMPONENTS IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM DISEASES

Analysis systems for protein and amino acid components in cerebrospina l fluid (CSF) from patients with a variety of central nervous system ( CNS) diseases were established employing capillary-zone electrophoresi s (CZE). Under the conditions employed, the major proteins in CSF and the concurrent sera were separated into several respective fractions, and in the obtained electropherograms of serum proteins, the values of areas of each major protein fraction (from gamma-globulin to albumin) were in close accord with those in the densitograms of stained protei n bands after electrophoresis on cellulose-acetate strips which had be en done as a routine laboratory test in the hospital. Some unusual mig ration patterns of major proteins were observed in various CNS disease s, and an increase of glutamine in hepatic encephalitis was also detec ted on the electropherograms. A peak responsible for a minor protein c omponent with the molecular weight of 10000-30000, which was tentative ly identified as beta-trace protein, was found to be contained in all the CSF samples examined, and its concentration levels were higher in some patients with cerebral infarction and multiple sclerosis. These r esults suggest that CZE can become a powerful aid in analyses of the p rotein and amino acid components in CSF for biochemical diagnosis of C NS diseases.