PROTEIN CONTENT OF SPINAL FLUID IN DIABETES MELLITUS: Report on One Hundred Cases

ELEVATION of the total-protein content of the cerebrospinal fluid has been noted in several disorders of metabolism and in diseases in which the metabolism is disturbed. Thus, the protein value of the spinal fluid has been found increased in myxedema (Thompson and associates¹), chronic nephritis (Lyttle and Rosenberg²), uremia (Madonick, Berke, and Schiffer³), and Cushing's syndrome (Trethowan and Cobb⁴). Although an increase in the protein content of the spinal fluid of diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy has been reported fairly frequently (Root and Rogers,⁵ Jordan,⁶ Rundles,⁷ Epstein⁸), information regarding the protein concentration of the spinal fluid in diabetic patients without clinical neurologic involvement is meager. Mestrezat⁹ and Levinson¹⁰ stated that the spinal-fluid protein value is normal. Lochelongue¹¹ found increased protein in the spinal fluid in diabetes mellitus. Eskuchen¹² indicated that there may be a slight increase in globulin