Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid proteins in cerebrovascular diseases by microscale two-dimensional electrophoresis

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins, as resolved by microscale two-dimensional electrophoresis and visualized by silver staining, were analyzed quantitatively in cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) and other neuropsychiatric diseases. Some remarkable quantitative changes in CSF proteins were observed in patients with CVD, however, no change was detected in patients with schizophrenia and epilepsy. In CVD, patterns of CSF proteins appeared to vary during the course of the disease. In the first week from the onset, three neutral proteins of similar molecular weights (Mr 43,000) were increased. In later stages, these proteins began to diminish to the previous level but several other proteins started to increase. Three of them were similar in size (Mr 37,000) and had isoelectric points (pI) slightly more acidic than albumin. Proteins of Mr 39,000-40,000 highly represented in CSF were also increased in the late stage. These proteins are enriched in human serum, as well, and have been shown to decrease in CSF from aged subjects. Another subset of proteins increased in this period were very acidic (