Distribution of beta2-microglobulin in cerebrospinal fluid and in cystic fluid of brain tumors. A preliminary study.

The concentrations of immuno-reactive beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the cystic fluid (CF) of Central Nervous System (CNS) tumours (gliomas, n = 5; craniopharyngiomas, n = 5) and in the culture medium of established cell lines derived from CNS tumors. These data are compared with plasma and CSF values of beta2m in normal subjects (n = 15) and in a group of peripheral solid tumors (metastatic breast carcinomas, n = 9). In the control group the absence of correlation between plasma and CSF values, suggests an independant production of beta2m in the two compartments considered. The capacity of CNS tumor cells to synthesize beta2m is demonstrated in vitro. In vitro beta-2m concentrations in the CF embryonic tumors (craniopharyngiomas) is significantly more elevated than in non malignant astrocytomas.