Elevated levels of the α subunit of GTP-binding protein Go in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurological disorders

By employing a highly sensitive immunoassay method, concentration of the α subunit of GTP-binding protein, Go (Goα), recently shown to be localized mainly in nervous tissues and neuroendocrine cells, was determined in cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) of 192 patients with various neurological disorders and 50 control subjects. The results were compared with CSF levels of neuronspecific enolase (NSE) and S-100b protein (S-100b) in the same samples. Normal levels of Goα were 51.9 ± 21.7 pg/ml. The levels of Goα, as well as NSE and S-100b, in CSF were enhanced in some patients with acute conditions, e.g., meningitis (48%), encephalitis (100%), and cerebral infarct (56%). In these disorders, cases with enhanced Goα levels were more frequent than those with enhanced NSE or S-100b. Three patients with encephalitis whose Goα levels were more than 1000 pg/ml all died; the remaining two patients with encephalitis and slightly elevated Goα levels had a good prognosis. Concentration of Goα in CSF correlated well with that of NSE but poorly with that of S-100b. However, cervical spondylosis and demyelinating diseases, CSF levels of Goα were generally lower than those of NSE or S-100b. These results suggest that Goα in CSF is a useful marker for monitoring patients with acute neuronal damage. Since these three proteins are distributed differently in the central nervous system, simultaneous determination of Goα, NSE, and S-100b levels in CSF might provide valuable information about the pathophysiology of neurological disorders.