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Table 2 Concentrations of analytes in plasma and five consecutive CSF fractions

From: Concentration gradients of monoamines, their precursors and metabolites in serial lumbar cerebrospinal fluid of neurologically healthy patients determined with a novel LC–MS/MS technique

N

20

20

20

20

20

20

p-value

F (df, error df)

χ2 (df)

Plasma

CSF 0–2 mL

CSF 2–4 mL

CSF 4–6 mL

CSF 6–8 mL

CSF 8–10 mL

Monoamines, precursors and metabolites

  

 L-DOPA (nmol/L)

17.0 [14.1–31.4]

5.44 (4.75–6.13)

5.37 (4.64–6.10)

5.20 (4.55–5.84)

5.55 (4.65–6.46)

5.26 (4.51–6.01)

0.426

0.93 (4, 76)

 

 3-OMD (nmol/L)

96.4 (84.5–108.3)

13.3 [10.6–16.2]

12.8 [10.4–17.0]

12.8 [10.3–16.5]

12.6 [10.7–16.0]

12.9 [10.8–15.3]

0.981

 

0.41 (4)

 DA (nmol/L)

0.09 (0.08–0.11)

0.031 [0.020–0.054]

0.035 [0.025–0.052]

0.040 [0.026–0.059]

0.047 [0.030–0.056]

0.050 [0.037–0.063]

 < 0.001***

 

42.12 (4)

 DOPAC (nmol/L)

9.61 (7.24–11.99)

2.60 (2.20–3.00)

2.80 2.35–3.24)

2.96 (2.49–3.44)

3.11 (2.60–3.62)

3.28 (2.77–3.79)

 < 0.001***

18.5 (1.85, 35.10)

 

 3-MT (nmol/L)

0.02 (0.06–0.05)

0.016 [0.011–0.029]

0.018 [0.012–0.035]

0.022 [0.016–0.039]

0.028 [0.017–0.050]

0.031 [0.022–0.056]

 < 0.001***

 

38.3 (4)

 HVA (nmol/L)

69.6 (58.8–80.3)

211 (175–246)

225 (188–262)

245 (205–285)

260 (218–302)

272 (230–314)

 < 0.001***

28.1 (1.60, 30.4)

 

 NA (nmol/L)

2.54 (0.82–1.30)

0.81 [0.58–0.91]

0.76 [0.62–0.90]

0.80 [0.64–1.01]

0.81 [0.67–1.04]

0.88 [0.70–1.13]

 < 0.001***

 

39.8 (4)

 NMN (nmol/L)

0.40 [0.35–0.47]

0.37 [0.26–0.41]

0.42 [0.26–0.47]

0.44 [0.28–0.49]

0.38 [0.28–0.53]

0.46 [0.32–0.55]

 < 0.001***

 

42.937 (4)

 MOPEG (nmol/L)

22.2 (19.7–24.6)

47.7 (44.6–50.9)

48.2 (44.8–51.5)

48.8 (44.8–52.8)

49.5 (45.8–53.3)

50.1 46.7–53.5)

0.054

2.44 (4, 76)

 

 ADR (nmol/L)

0.23 [0.15–0.43]

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

   

 MN (nmol/L)

0.23 (0.18–0.28)

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

   

 5-HIAA (nmol/L)

50.2 (44.3–56.1)

101.1 (84.4–117.8)

111.9 (95.2–128.5)

124.4 (106.4–142.3)

130.3 (111.7–149.0)

136.7 (118.5–154.8)

 < 0.001***

24.0 (1.57, 29.91)

 

Routine laboratory analysis

  

 Albumin (g/L)

45.3 (43.3–47.2)

0.21 (0.18–0.25)

0.20 (0.17–0.24)

0.20 (0.17–0.20)

0.19 (0.15–0.22)

0.19 (0.15–0.22)

 < 0.001***

16.936 (2.003, 38.054)

 

 Qalb (× 10–3)

4.73 (3.97–5.50)

4.54 (3.76–5.32)

4.42 (3.68–5.16)

4.13 (3.41–4.86)

4.15 (3.40–4.89)

   

 Total protein (g/L)

73.3 (70.6–75.9)

0.34 (0.30–0.39)

0.33 (0.29–0.38)

0.33 (0.28–0.37)

0.31 (0.27–0.36)

0.31 (0.26–0.36)

 < 0.001***

11.393 (1.816, 34.509)

 

 Glucose (mmol/L)

5.25 (4.96–5.54)

3.31 (3.18–3.43)

3.34 (3.21–3.47)

3.33 (3.20–3.45)

3.34 (3.20–3.47)

3.33 (3.20–3.46)

0.047*

2.536 (4, 76)

 

 Erythrocyte count (× 106/L)

200 [100–300]

150 [100–275]

100 [100–200]

100 [100–200]

100 [100–200]

0.083

 

8.230 (4)

 Leucocyte count (× 106/L)

5.95 (5.49–6.93)

1.00 [1.00–2.75]

1.00 [1.00–1.75]

1.00 [1.00–1.75]

1.00 [0.25–2.00]

1.00 [0.00–1.00]

0.001**

 

19.551 (4)

  1. Data are presented as mean (95% CI) or median [IQR]. Test (repeated-measures ANOVA or Friedman’s test) is significant at 0.05 level (*), 0.01 level (**) or 0.001 level (***)
  2. L-DOPA levodopa, 3-OMD 3-o-methyldopa, DA dopamine, DOPAC 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3-MT 3-methoxytyramine, HVA homovanillic acid, NA noradrenalin, NMN normetanephrine, ADR adrenalin, MN metanephrine, MOPEG 3-Methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, 5-HIAA 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, Qalb ratio of CSF to plasma albumin concentration, ND non-detectable, df degrees of freedom