Cerebrospinal fluid proteins and amino acids

Abstract

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein composition involves mainly albumin with small contributions of other proteins. Other CSF components are free amino acids; they have several functions in the central nervous system (CNS) and are important since their CSF concentrations correlate with their brain content. Some of them do not easily cross the blood-brain barrier and do not significantly change with age or gender. Their concentration is dependent on their plasma concentrations as well as brain blood flow, their physicochemical properties, transport mechanisms and their CNS metabolism. Alterations in amino acid CSF concentrations have been reported in several diseases; those results are variable but, in spite of this, its study is important and psychiatric and neurologic disorders.