Expression of TGF-βs and TGF-β type II receptor in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus

We investigated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 21 patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) and 14 controls without neurological disease. The concentrations of leucine-rich α-2-glycoprotein (LRG), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, 2, 3 and TGF-β type II receptor (TβR-II) in CSF were measured using ELISA. TGF-β1, TβR-II and LRG CSF levels of patients with INPH were significantly higher than controls, whereas no significant differences in TGF-β2 levels were found between INPH patients and controls. The present study suggests that TGF-βs expressions may be modulated differently in patients with INPH. These results also indicate that the CSF level assay of TGF-β1, TβR-II and LRG is useful for the diagnosis of patients with INPH, and TGF-β1, TβR-II and LRG may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.