Cerebrospinal fluid protein fractions in health and disease.

Samples of lumbar cerebrospinal fluid from 20 healthy subjects and 20 patients with a variety of neurological disorders have been subjected to cellulose acetate electrophoresis and quantitative analyses carried out on the seven separated protein fractions. Normal percentage and absolute concentration limits for each fraction have been determined and compared with previous reports. It is concluded that absolute values are more valuable than percentage values in the discrimination of disease from health, but that the mechanisms governing protein abnormalities are difficult to ascertain from spinal fluid electrophoresis alone.