Immunoreactive aldolase C in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurological disorders

Nervous-system specific aldolase C has been detected in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by radioimmunoassay. Measurement of 138 samples of CSF showed a mean level of 92 +/- 28 ng/ml. There was no correlation between the level of CSF aldolase C and the CSF total protein, albumin, IgG, or IgA levels. Aldolase C immunoreactivity present in concentrated CSF diluted out in parallel with the standard curve in the assay and showed an elution profile on ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography similar to that of aldolase present in whole human brain extracts. Addition of known quantities of purified aldolase C4 to CSF gave quantitative recovery on subsequent radioimmunoassay. Measurement of aldolase C in the CSF of 66 patients with neurological disorders showed several patients with levels considerably in excess of 120 ng/ml, but there was no statistically significant difference in the mean levels between groups of patients with different diseases.