Cerebrospinal fluid cytoskeleton proteins in patients with subcortical white-matter dementia

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of two cytoskeleton proteins, tau and the light subunit of neurofilament protein (NFL), both considered to reflec t cerebral white-matter components, were investigated in a group of patient s with a subtype of vascular dementia called 'subcortical white-matter deme ntia' (SWD). The group consisted of 25 demented patients with frontosubcort ical brain syndromes, white-matter changes on computed tomography or magnet ic resonance imaging and vascular disease or pronounced vascular risk facto rs. CSF-NFL was increased, whereas CSF-tau was normal, suggesting a differe ntial involvement of the cytoskeleton in this patient group. The albumin ra tio and the apolipoproteinE4 (ApoE4) allele status were also investigated. The albumin ratio was increased, indicating damage to the vessel walls with breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. No relationship was found between Ap oE4 alleles and CSF levels of tau or NFL in this patient group. Besides pre senting original data, the disease status of SWD is also discussed. (C) 200 1 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.