Cerebrospinal Fluid Protein in Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Elevations of the cerebrospinal fluid total protein have been reported in patients with diabetes mellitus.^1-7 Some authors believe that the spinal fluid protein increase is found only in the presence of clinical evidence of diabetic neuropathy or in diabetic patients with a history of a recent cerebrovascular accident.⁶ However, other factors such as generalized vascular disease may also contribute to the abnormalities of spinal fluid proteins. This paper is concerned with the study of total protein and its fractions demonstrated by starch gel electrophoresis in the cerebrospinal fluid of diabetic patients. Gel electrophoresis⁸ was used because of its exceptional resolving power. These findings were correlated with the presence or absence of vascular and/or neurological complications. Materials and Methods Eighty-four patients with diabetes mellitus from the Second (Cornell) Medical and Neurological Services of Bellevue Hospital were investigated in this study. There were 43 male and 41 female patients