Quantitation of highmolecular proteins in cerebrospinal fluid

The finally adopted technical conditions for the routine quantitation of a2-macroglobulin, immunoglobulin A, G and M in 2 to 3ml normal cerebrospinal fluid by Lowell's electroimmuno assay are described. Using a two step concentration procedure fibrinogen and 0-lipoprotein have been detected in normal cerebrospinal fluid. Es werden die technischen Bedingungen beschrieben, die sich für die Bestimmung des <*2-Makroglobuüns und der Immunglobuline A, G und M in normalem Liquor cerebrospinal is bewährt haben. Mit der elektroimmunologischen Technik nach Laurell ist es möglich, diese vier Proteine in 2-3 ml Liquor cerebrospinalis quantita-tiv zu bestimmen. Auch Fibrinogen und 0-Lipoprotein konnten mit dieser Methode nach zweistufiger Konzentrierung in normalem Liquor cerebrospinalis nachgewiesen werden. Quantitation of single proteins in cerebrospinal fluid is hampered by their low levels as compared to serum. Since serum filtration is the dominant process in the formation of cerebrospinal fluid, the levels of the high-molecular proteins (which, according to present knowled-ge, have the greatest diagnostic significance) are several hundred to thousand times lower than in serum. Any method for single protein quantitation should be sensi-tive enough to allow measurements in small amounts of cerebrospinal fluid, as far as possible without preconcen-tration. LaurelVs electroimmuno assay fulfils this crite-rion for numerous proteins (2,3) but some technical adaptations are necessary for the reproducibel quantita-tion of the high-molecular proteins. The present work describes the adapted method for the routine quantita-tion of a2-macroglobulin and the three major immuno-globulin classes A, G and M