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Changes of the protein composition of the cerebrospinal fluid in childhood acute leukemia

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Abstract

In cerebrospinal fluid from 26 children suffering from acute lymphocytic leukemia or lymphosarcoma, prealbumin, albumin, α1-antitrypsin, α2-macroglobulin, transferrin, β1C/β1A-globulin, IgG, and IgA were estimated in correlation with cell count and total protein determinations. IgM was demonstrated by means of double diffusion. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 9 children with a first complete remission of bone marrow were compared with 10 patients suffering from central nervous system leukemia, and 10 more children who had achieved a further hematological as well as central nervous system remission. The results showed no significant correlation between cell count and protein content, nor between cell count and the increase of individual proteins. The increase of α2-macroglobulin, as well as the qualitative demonstration of IgM in the CSF, reflected an enhanced permeability of the blood-CSF barrier. We discuss the problems in determining a so-called normal CSF cell count due to a simultaneous increase in a single or all protein components, which was frequently the case.

Zusammenfassung

Bei kindern mit akuter lymphatischer Leukämie wurden parallel zur Bestimmung von Zellzahl und Gesamteiweiß Präalbumin, Albumin, α1-Antitrypsin, α2-Makroglobulin, Transferrin, β1C/β1A-Globulin, IgG und IgA im Liquor quantitativ erfaßt. IgM wurde qualitativ nachgewiesen. Die Untersuchung erstreckte sich auf Kinder, die noch keine Zeichen einer Meningosis leucaemica geboten hatten, an einer Meningosis erkrankt waren oder sich in einem erscheinungsfreien Intervall befanden. Eine signifikante Korrelation zwischen der Zellzahl und dem Gesamteiweiß ergab sich ebensowenig wie zwischen der Zellzahl und der Vermehrung einzelner Proteine. Eine meßbare Vermehrung α2-Makroglobulin und der qualitative Nachweis von IgM im Liquor deuteten auf eine erhöhte Permeabilität der Blut-Liquor-Schranke hin. Auf die Problematik der sogenannten normalen Liquorzellzahl wird an Hand der häufig gleichzeitig vorhandenen Erhöhung einzelner oder aller Eiweißkomponenten hingewiesen.

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Harms, D. Changes of the protein composition of the cerebrospinal fluid in childhood acute leukemia. Z. Kinder-Heilk. 118, 97–105 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00440025

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