COMPLEMENT AND ITS COMPONENT FRACTIONS IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID IN INFLAMMATORY CEREBROSPINAL DISEASES

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Spinal fluids from patients with infections of the central nervous system were examined for complement activity and for the presence of individual complement components. One or more components of complement is always present in the spinal fluid in infectious cerebrospinal diseases. The greater the number of components present, the higher the titer of individual components. When all 4 components, C[image]l, C[image]2, C[image]3 and C[image]4 are present, the spinal fluid is always positive for whole complement. In specimens obtained from cases of inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system not due to bacteria, the number and concn. of the components are less than those occurring in the bacterial diseases. In inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system, C[image]4 and C[image]l, the components present in largest concn., occur most frequently. C[image]3 and C[image]2 follow in order of occurrence and in concn. C[image]2 is found in least frequency and then only in low titer. It is this component which determines total complement activity of the cerebrospinal fluid, since it is only found when the other 3 components are present. A definite correlation exists between the changes of complement activity and those in protein and sugar content. The greater the deviation of the routine laboratory findings from normal, the greater the number and concn. of the individual components. Spinal fluids in which no components are present show protein, sugar and cells within normal limits.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: