Ari Breiner1,2, Pierre R Bourque1,2, Jodi Warman-Chardon1,2, John Brooks1,2, Christopher R McCudden2,3. 1. Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2. Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 3. Department of Pathology Laboratory Medicine, Division of Biochemistry, Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Elevation of total protein level in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF-TP) in diabetic patients is often disregarded by clinicians. However, existing studies on the topic have significant limitations, and therefore we aimed to explore the relationship between diabetes and CSF-TP in a large database of CSF samples. Methods: Retrospective review of all diagnostic lumbar punctures at the Ottawa Hospital between 1996-2016. Patients were excluded if they had elevated CSF cell counts, or a condition known to elevate CSF-TP. Multivariate linear regression modeling considered the effects of age, sex, and diabetes. Results: Among 6124 patients (746 with diabetes, 5378 without), mean CSF-TP did not differ significantly between groups (0.39 and 0.35 mmol/L, p = 0.2). When controlled for age and sex, there was no significant effect of diabetes on CSF-TP and no significant correlation between mean serum glucose and CSF-TP (R2 = 0.12). Conclusions: CSF-TP did not differ significantly between diabetic and non-diabetic groups, once the influence of age and sex was controlled. Elevated CSF-TP should be regarded as pathologic, even in the setting of diabetes.
Background and Purpose: Elevation of total protein level in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF-TP) in diabetic patients is often disregarded by clinicians. However, existing studies on the topic have significant limitations, and therefore we aimed to explore the relationship between diabetes and CSF-TP in a large database of CSF samples. Methods: Retrospective review of all diagnostic lumbar punctures at the Ottawa Hospital between 1996-2016. Patients were excluded if they had elevated CSF cell counts, or a condition known to elevate CSF-TP. Multivariate linear regression modeling considered the effects of age, sex, and diabetes. Results: Among 6124 patients (746 with diabetes, 5378 without), mean CSF-TP did not differ significantly between groups (0.39 and 0.35 mmol/L, p = 0.2). When controlled for age and sex, there was no significant effect of diabetes on CSF-TP and no significant correlation between mean serum glucose and CSF-TP (R2 = 0.12). Conclusions: CSF-TP did not differ significantly between diabetic and non-diabetic groups, once the influence of age and sex was controlled. Elevated CSF-TP should be regarded as pathologic, even in the setting of diabetes.
Authors: Yusuf A Rajabally; Mark Stettner; Bernd C Kieseier; Hans-Peter Hartung; Rayaz A Malik Journal: Nat Rev Neurol Date: 2017-09-15 Impact factor: 42.937