Lactoferrin, lysozyme, and ?2-Microglobulin levels in cerebrospinal fluid

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Abstract
The CSF levels of lactoferrin, lysozyme, andβ2-microglobulin (β2μ) were measured in patients with evident, probable, or possible inflammatory CNS reactions and compared to those found in neurologically apparently healthy patients. Patients with viral CNS infections had significantly raisedβ2μand lysozyme levels but normal lactoferrin levels, indicating a local activation of lymphocytes and monocytes but not of granulocytes. Patients with bacterial CNS infections had significantly raised levels of all three cell markers, but the increase of lysozyme and lactoferrin was relatively more pronounced than that ofβ2μ, indicating that the inflammatory response to bacterial agents is dominated by monocytes and granulocytes. Patients with primary or secondary malignant brain tumors were characterized by a moderate increase ofβ2μ and a considerable increase in both lysozyme and lactoferrin, i.e., the same protein pattern as observed in bacterial CNS infection. The lysozyme levels were moderately increased in half the patients with benign cerebral tumors while the levels ofβ2μ and lactoferrin were normal, indicating that benign and malignant brain tumors induce different local inflammatory CNS reactions. Half the patients with pituitary gland adenoma had elevatedβ2μ and lysozyme levels but normal lactoferrin levels, suggesting that immunological mechanisms are associated with the adenoma development. Patients with MS had moderately but significantly raised CSF levels ofβ2μ and lysozyme and a third of them also had raised levels of lactoferrin, a protein pattern suggesting a low-active inflammatory process in CNS involving mononuclears and granulocytes. A similar protein pattern was found in Guillain-Barré syndrome. In cerebrosarcoidosis we noted considerably increased lysozyme andβ2μ but normal lactoferrin levels, consistent with the idea that the sarcoid granuloma mass is dominated by monocytic inflammatory cells. The data obtained indicate a clinical value of lactoferrin, lysozyme, andβ2μ as differential indices of inflammatory cell reactions taking place in various CNS processes.