High resolution two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cerebrospinal fluid in patients with neurological diseases.

The protein pattern of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 334 patients with various neurological and systemic diseases was investigated by high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). 2-DE gels of normal CSF contain proteins which are not detectable in 2-DE gels of serum. Disturbances of the blood-brain or blood-CSF barrier, and degenerative diseases of the brain and malignant diseases produce specific changes on 2-DE gels of the CSF. The appearance of 10 spot areas in the light chain region of 2-DE gels seem to be connected with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. The sensitivity and the specificity of these spot areas for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis are described. Proteins within the ten spot areas are immunoglobulin light chains or substances which cross-react very strongly with light chain antibodies as demonstrated by immunoblotting and immunoabsorption.