CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID FERRITIN IN BRAIN NECROSIS - EVIDENCE FOR LOCAL SYNTHESIS

Ferritin was measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of an uns elected neurological population. An increase in CSF ferritin was found to be associated with pathological processes in which there was eithe r necrosis or haemorrhage involving the brain. There was no correlatio n between the CSF and serum concentrations of ferritin in the referenc e population. Neither was there any correlation between CSF ferritin a nd CSF albumin in the reference population. After subarachnoid haemorr hage, intrathecal production of ferritin was found to occur since in s ome patients the concentration of ferritin in CSF was higher than that of homologous serum. Even in the reference population the concentrati on of ferritin found in the CSF was much higher than could be explaine d by passive transfer across the blood-CSF barrier. Therefore local sy nthesis of ferritin by brain cells occurs even under normal circumstan ces.