Haloperidol induced CSF protein variations in schizophrenic patients: as studied by two-dimensional electrophoresis.

High resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 10 schizophrenic patients demonstrated a 21% average difference in the number of proteins which could be detected in patients undergoing haloperidol therapy when compared with CSF from the same patients after withdrawal from neuroleptic treatment. Proteins affected were trace proteins, as we found no significant variation in either the total CSF protein content or the integrated protein density on each electrophoretic gel. Three mechanisms which might account for these observations are: (1) a small change in liver protein synthesis or degradation would have little if any visible effect on the concentration of major blood or CSF proteins, such as albumin, but it could significantly alter trace proteins, such as alpha 2-haptoglobin, since their concentrations are orders of magnitude less than that of the major proteins, (2) haloperidol might alter the blood-CSF protein filtration system which could affect the visibility of the trace proteins, and (3) proteins synthesized in the Central Nervous System (CNS) or enhanced in the CSF could be differentially affected by haloperidol. While additional research will be required to determine the basis for the effects of haloperidol on CSF proteins, the current studies provide information which may be helpful in delineating disease specific protein alterations from those induced by drug therapy.