CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORETIC ANALYSES OF BETA-TRACE PROTEIN AND OTHER LOW-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT PROTEINS IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID FROM PATIENTS WITH CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM DISEASES

Ordinary capillary-zone electrophoresis (CZE), as well as CZE in a sod ium dodecylsulfate-containing polymer solution (SDS-CZE) and capillary isoelectrofocusing (CIEF), was applied to the analysis of low molecul ar weight proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with var ious neuropsychiatric disorders. Under the CZE conditions employed, a peaks of beta-trace protein (beta PTP), which is the most abundant low MW protein in CSF, was clearly detected on the electropherograms of a ll the samples examined, and the CSF beta TP level could be tentativel y determined using allylamine added at a constant concentration as the internal standard. The results revealed that beta TP in CSF was non-s pecifically increased in organic diseases in the central nervous syste m (CNS), especially in ones giving severe physical damage to the brain tissues. On the other hand, SDS-CZE allowed us to determine simultane ously the CSF minor low MW proteins other than beta TP, such as beta(2 )-microglobulin, gamma-trace protein, myelin basic protein, etc., whil e the CIEF electropherograms suggested that beta TP were separated int o several fractions with the different PI values. These capillary elec trophoresis systems seem to be powerful as aids in the biochemical exa minations of beta TP and other low molecular weight proteins in CSF fr om patients with CNS diseases. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.