QUANTIFICATION OF CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID PROTEINS IN CHILDREN BY HIGH-RESOLUTION AGAROSE-GEL ELECTROPHORESIS

Physiologic alterations in cerebrospinal fluid proteins occur inter al ia with aging. Agarose gel electrophoresis discriminates many cerebros pinal fluid proteins and in addition quantifies concentration alterati ons. This study aimed to investigate the time course of these alterati ons in children and to establish normative values for cerebrospinal fl uid protein properties. In 202 children without diseases known to alte r cerebrospinal fluid, normative protein properties were quantified us ing nephelometry, ultrafiltration, high-resolution electrophoresis, an d Gaussian curve fit densitometry. Total protein and protein concentra tions (albumin and gamma-globulins) decreased from birth until 7 month s age, and, from then on, increased slightly (transthyretin, albumin, and alpha(2)-proteins) or strongly (gamma-globulins). Protein proporti ons (transthyretin and transferrin) increased until about 3 years of a ge and decreased from then on. These normative values for children as quantified by high-resolution agarose gel electrophoresis are presente d in a significance-structured percentile table. The time courses of t hese cerebrospinal fluid properties reflect physiologic alterations of the blood-brain barrier function during childhood.