Cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulins and beta 2-microglobulin in lymphoproliferative and other neoplastic diseases of the central nervous system
J. Ernerudh, T. Olsson, G. Berlin and H. von Schenck
Humoral immune aberrations may occur in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of
patients with lymphoproliferative and other neoplastic diseases
infiltrating the central nervous system (CNS). Such aberrations may be of
diagnostic importance. We therefore studied CSF and serum from 47 patients
with lymphoproliferative diseases and from 16 patients with various
nonlymphoid neoplasias; 17 patients and 12 patients, respectively, had
neoplastic CNS involvement. Elevated CSF IgM index and oligoclonal IgG
bands in CSF and serum were commonly found, especially in patients with CNS
involvement. Cerebrospinal fluid IgG and IgA indexes were usually normal.
Increased CSF to serum albumin ratio, reflecting blood-brain barrier
dysfunction, and increased CSF beta 2-microglobulin concentration were most
common in patients with CNS involvement. The results indicate that
neoplastic CNS disease should be borne in mind when CSF humoral immune
aberrations are found.
