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Journal Article 2009; 30(5): 647-651 PubMed PMID: 20035270 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease:cerebrospinal fluid, Amyloid beta-Peptides:cerebrospinal fluid, Biomarkers:cerebrospinal fluid, Cerebral Ventricles:chemistry, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Hydrocephalus:cerebrospin.   

OBJECTIVE: Determination of various biomarkers, such as beta-amyloid, tau-protein, phosphorylated tau-protein in CSF and their sensitivity and specificity in neurodegenerative brain processes, in particular Alzheimer Dementia (AD), has been recently investigated to monitor their abnormalities in the CSF at early stages of diseases before the clinical manifestation.

DESIGN AND SETTING: In the pilot group of our patients (10 men / 5 women) who underwent a drainage neurosurgical procedure for diagnosis of hydrocephalus, CSF was obtained from the brain ventricles and the influence of a different compartment of the CSF on the level of biomarkers, tau-protein and beta-amyloid, was investigated.

RESULTS: The mean tau-protein level for all 15 patients was 812.0 pg/ml, with median value 363.7 pg/ml; while mean beta-amyloid level for all 15 patients was 526.7 pg/ml, with median value 239.5 pg/ml, respectively. The abnormal tau-protein and beta-amyloid levels were found in the subgroup of patients in whom hydrocephalus was caused by a severe pathological process, such as brain tumor. The beta-amyloid values were significantly lower also in comparison with our previously published results in patients with AD in the CSF obtained by lumbar puncture in the spinal canal.

CONCLUSIONS: CSF in the brain ventricles is theoretically more stable and the values in this CSF probably provide more reliable informations for clinical diagnostic procedure than those for the CSF obtained by lumbar puncture in the spinal canal....

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Comparative Study 2008; 29(6): 971-976 PubMed PMID: 19112391 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Amyloid beta-Peptides:cerebrospinal fluid, Biomarkers:cerebrospinal fluid, Case-Control Studies, Demyelinating Diseases:cerebrospinal fluid, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Multiple Sclerosis:cerebrospinal fluid, Peptide Fragments:ce.   

OBJECTIVES: The presented study focuses on the importance of measurement of beta-amyloid42 (Abeta-42) levels, total tau protein, and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of cerebrospinal multiple sclerosis (MS) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) which represents an early phase of multiple sclerosis.

METHODS: A total of 23 patients with clinically isolated syndrome and suspected MS were enrolled into the study. Of this number, 14 patients met the criteria for definitive MS according to McDonald. The control group consisted of 40 patients examined for the possibility of organic damage to the brain, which was not confirmed. We used method of enzyme immunoanalysis to examine concentrations of tau protein, p- tau protein, and beta amyloid42. Differences between the respective groups were examined by test statistics. In addition, dependence of the total tau protein, p-tau protein, and beta-amyloid42 levels on demographic variables, diagnosis and duration of disease was examined by correlation analysis. Correlation of the concentrations obtained in the measurements was evaluated based on the calculated correlation coefficient (r) and level of significance (p).

RESULTS: Compared to the control group, no statistically significant difference was found in the levels of tau protein and p-tau protein between the CIS group and definitive MS group. A significant increase was found only for beta-amyloid42 levels in patients with diagnosed MS vs. control group. We demonstrated no correlation between the beta-amyloid42 and tau protein levels, p-tau protein and age of patients and duration of disease in patients with MS, CIS and the control group.

CONCLUSION: Results of our study show that use of tau protein, p-tau protein and beta-amyloid42 in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis seems to be non-beneficial. We confirmed no importance for the differential diagnosis of an early stage MS....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(3): 297-305 PubMed PMID: 16807525 Citation  Keywords:  Alzheimer Disease:cerebrospinal fluid, Amyloid beta-Peptides:cerebrospinal fluid, Biomarkers:cerebrospinal fluid, Brain:metabolism, Cerebrospinal Fluid:chemistry, Depressive Disorder, Major:cerebrospinal fluid, Female, Humans, Male, Neurotransmitter Agent.   

: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear and colourless fluid that surrounds the brain and spine. Due to the close proximity of CSF to the brain, pathological brain-processes are likely to be reflected in CSF. CSF can be obtained through lumbar puncture and is frequently performed in the differential diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders. Beyond clinical applications, CSF has been studied as part of different research-protocols. In this review, we will focus on CSF-analysis in Alzheimer Disease, major depression and schizophrenia. We will review both clinical applications as well as research applications in all three disorders. We will also assess new technological advances that have made it possible to study large numbers of proteins in CSF and how these advances may change CSF-analysis in the years to come....

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Clinical Trial 2005; 26(6): 696-698 PubMed PMID: 16380679 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Alzheimer Disease:blood, Amyloid beta-Peptides:cerebrospinal fluid, Biomarkers:blood, Female, Humans, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Peptide Fragments:cerebrospinal fluid, beta Carotene:blood, tau Proteins:cerebrospinal fluid,.   

: We studied the plasma beta carotene concentrations in 40 Alzheimer's disease patients and the association with cerebrospinal fluid beta-amyloid 1-40, (Abeta40), cerebrospinal fluid beta-amyloid 1-42 (Abeta42) and cerebrospinal fluid total Tau. We found that patients with plasma beta carotene levels below the 25th percentile had 55% reduced ratios of Abeta40/Tau and 51% reduced ratios of Abeta 40/Abeta 42 compared with patients in the highest quartile. Mean Tau concentrations in the lowest quartile of plasma beta-carotene levels were 74% higher compared with the highest quartile of plasma beta-carotene levels. Thus, we could demonstrate an statistically significant association between beta carotene levels in plasma and neurochemical markers in the cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's disease patients....

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