Chemical Substances Present in CSF

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Chemical Substances Present in CSF

The composition of CSF has some similarities to plasma. However, most analyte reference intervals are different for CSF than they are for plasma. For example, the protein level of normal CSF is dramatically lower than that of plasma. Chemical substances that are often evaluated in CSF samples are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Chemical Substances in CSF and Reference Intervals.
ChemicalCSF Reference Interval
Chloride 120–132 mmol/L
Protein 15–45 mg/dL
Glucose 40–70 mg/dL
Other chemicals that are also present in CSF include:
  • Calcium
  • Cholesterol
  • Creatinine
  • Lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH)
  • Phosphorus
  • Urea
  • Uric acid