Detection and measurement of an endogenous clonidine-displacing substance in human cerebrospinal fluid

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 601; no. 1; pp. 325 - 328
• Main Authors: Goldberg-Stern, H., Atlas, D., Schwartz, L., Achiron, A., Ziv, I., Djaldetti, R., Zoldan, Y., Melamed, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 22.01.1993; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Binding, Competitive - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebrospinal fluid; Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins - cerebrospinal fluid; Cerebrovascular Disorders - cerebrospinal fluid; Child; Child, Preschool; Clonidine; Clonidine - antagonists & inhibitors; Clonidine - blood; Clonidine - cerebrospinal fluid; Clonidine-displacing substance; Demyelinating Diseases - cerebrospinal fluid; Female; Humans; Imidazole receptor; Infant; Male; Medical sciences; Meningeal Neoplasms - cerebrospinal fluid; Middle Aged; Nervous System Diseases - cerebrospinal fluid; Nervous system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Neurology; Clonidine; Cerebrospinal fluid; Imidazole receptor; Clonidine-displacing substance; Human; Nervous system diseases; Ligand; Exploration; Endogenous substance; Biological receptor
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(93)91730-G

Clonidine-displacing substance (CDS) is a novel endogenous ligand for clonidine receptors previously detected in bovine brain and human serum. We examined for the first time whether CDS can be detected and measured in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Using the [ 3H]clonidine displacement assay, we found that CDS could be identified and quantified in each of the CSF samples obtained from 81 patients with various neurological disorders. Mean level of CDS in CSF was 4.66 units/ml. Exceedingly high levels were observed in the CSF of patients with neoplastic meningitis (mean, 36.75 units/ml) and stroke (mean, 19.5 units/ml) ( P < 0.0001). No correlation was found between CDS levels in CSF and age, gender, CSF protein or number of cells. CDS levels in CSF were higher than those in the serum ( P < 0.01). We conclude that CDS is present and can be measured in human CSF. High CDS levels in CSF from patients with leptomeningeal metastases may serve as a tumor marker for malignant infiltration of the meninges. Additional studies in stroke patients will determine whether this endogenous ligand plays a role in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia.