Quantification of cerebrospinal fluid proteins in children by high-resolution agarose gel electrophoresis.

Physiologic alterations in cerebrospinal fluid proteins occur inter alia with aging. Agarose gel electrophoresis discriminates many cerebrospinal fluid proteins and in addition quantifies concentration alterations. This study aimed to investigate the time course of these alterations in children and to establish normative values for cerebrospinal fluid protein properties. In 202 children without diseases known to alter cerebrospinal fluid, normative protein properties were quantified using nephelometry, ultrafiltration, high-resolution electrophoresis, and Gaussian curve fit densitometry. Total protein and protein concentrations (albumin and gamma-globulins) decreased from birth until 7 months age, and, from then on, increased slightly (transthyretin, albumin, and alpha2-proteins) or strongly (gamma-globulins). Protein proportions (transthyretin and transferrin) increased until about 3 years of age and decreased from then on. These normative values for children as quantified by high-resolution agarose gel electrophoresis are presented in a significance-structured percentile table. The time courses of these cerebrospinal fluid properties reflect physiologic alterations of the blood-brain barrier function during childhood.