2020 Volume 37 Issue 3 Pages 331-334
Glycan structures of glycoproteins are often cell–type specific, suggesting that glycan isoforms could be cell type–specific biomarkers. Two glycan isoforms of transferrin (Tf) were found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), i.e., brain–type Tf and serum–type Tf. Serum–type Tf appears to be derived from blood due to its glycan similarity. Histochemical staining with anti–Tf antibody and a lectin, specific probe for brain–type glycan, reveals that brain–type Tf is secreted from choroid plexus, CSF–producing tissue. Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is an elderly dementia caused by abnormal metabolism of CSF. Brain–type Tf levels decreased in in iNPH but rapidly returned to normal levels within 1–3 months after shunt surgery. This change was positively correlated with recovery from dementia at 11.8±7.7 months post–operation, suggesting that brain–type Tf is a prognostic marker for recovery from dementia after shunt surgery for iNPH.
