HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) A correction has been published Submit an electronic Letter to the Editor about this paper Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (28) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Arrer, E. Articles by Patsch, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Arrer, E. Articles by Patsch, W. Related Collections Proteomics and Protein Markers

ß-Trace Protein as a Marker for Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea

¹ Department of Laboratory Medicine,
² Ear, Nose, and Throat Department, and
³ Department of Neurosurgery, Landeskliniken Salzburg, Müllner Hauptstrasse 48, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria

^aauthor for correspondence: fax 43-662-4482-885, e-mail e.arrer@lks.at

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage occurs mainly as a complication of head injuries or skull-base surgeries, but may also occur spontaneously or as a result of nontraumatic processes such as inflammatory disorders or tumors (1). Detection and management of CSF leakage is essential to prevent possible life-threatening infections of the central nervous system (2). Radiologic and invasive procedures may be used for the diagnosis of CSF leaks, but these procedures are laborious, expensive, and present potential risk to the patient. Therefore, noninvasive laboratory methods serve as screening procedures before definitive procedures are used to localize the site of the defect.

Laboratory assessment of CSF leakage relies on compositional differences between CSF and other body secretions. The ß₂-transferrin (ß2Tr) -fraction, or asialotransferrin, is a brain-specific variant of transferrin that lacks neuraminic acid. It therefore can be distinguished from serum transferrin by electrophoretic procedures and used to detect CSF rhinorrhea (3)(4). However, ß2Tr is present in aqueous humor and in perilymph fluid and can be detected in serum, especially in chronic alcohol abusers and in patients with inborn errors of glycoprotein metabolism or genetic variants of transferrin (5)(6).

ß-Trace protein (ßTP), recently identified as prostaglandin D₂ synthase (7), is another brain-specific protein that is produced mainly in the leptomeninges and the choroid plexus and is secreted into the CSF. ßTP is the second most abundant protein in CSF after albumin. However, it is also present in other body fluids, including serum, albeit at much lower concentrations than in CSF (8). Immunoelectrophoretic methods for ßTP have been applied as a screening procedure for CSF leaks (9)(10). Recently, a nephelometric assay for the quantification of ßTP was introduced that promised several advantages over current . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Acknowledgments

References

The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:

				K. M. Lloyd, J. M. DelGaudio, and P. A. Hudgins Imaging of Skull Base Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks in Adults Radiology, September 1, 2008; 248(3): 725 - 736. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Gorogh, P. Rudolph, J. E. Meyer, J. A. Werner, B. M. Lippert, and S. Maune Separation of {beta}2-Transferrin by Denaturing Gel Electrophoresis to Detect Cerebrospinal Fluid in Ear and Nasal Fluids Clin. Chem., September 1, 2005; 51(9): 1704 - 1710. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. L. Sanders, R. J. Clark, and J. A. Katzmann Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage: Agarose Gel Electrophoresis Detection of {beta}2-Transferrin and Nephelometric Quantification of {beta}-Trace Protein Clin. Chem., December 1, 2004; 50(12): 2401 - 2403. [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Schnabel, E. Di Martino, J. M. Gilsbach, D. Riediger, A. M. Gressner, and D. Kunz Comparison of {beta}2-Transferrin and {beta}-Trace Protein for Detection of Cerebrospinal Fluid in Nasal and Ear Fluids Clin. Chem., March 1, 2004; 50(3): 661 - 663. [Full Text] [PDF]