Tissue plasminogen activator expression in meningiomas and glioblastomas.

Objectives: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting techniques were used to investigate and compare the expression of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in benign (meningioma) and malignant (glioblastoma) human brain tumours.

Methods: A total of 22 tumour samples comprising 11 meningiomas and 11 glioblastomas with adjacent peritumoural tissue were analysed.

Results: The mean tPA content of meningiomas was approximately half that of glioblastomas (55.

How useful is glucose detection in diagnosing cerebrospinal fluid leak? The rational use of CT and Beta-2 transferrin assay in detection of cerebrospinal fluid fistula.

Background: This report describes the sensitivity and specificity of glucose detection using Glucostix test strips and computed tomography (CT) of the skull base for confirming cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulae in patients with persistent rhinorrhoea or otorrhoea, and comparing them with the beta-2 transferrin assay as the gold standard for CSF detection.

Methods: Fluid samples from the nose were collected from 18 patients with suspected CSF fistulae. The samples were assayed for beta-2 transferrin using the Western blotting and immunostaining technique.