Tau Protein

At a Glance

Why Get Tested?

To help identify cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fluid leaking from the skull.

When To Get Tested?

If there is a watery discharge from your nose or ear (rhinorrhoea or otorrhoea) after you have suffered a skull fracture or after brain surgery.

Sample Required?

A sample of the suspicious watery discharge is collected into a plastic tube and at the same time a blood sample is also collected.

Test Preparation Needed?

None

On average it takes 7 working days for the blood test results to come back from the hospital, depending on the exact tests requested. Some specialist test results may take longer, if samples have to be sent to a reference (specialist) laboratory. The X-ray & scan results may take longer. If you are registered to use the online services of your local practice, you may be able to access your results online. Your GP practice will be able to provide specific details.

If the doctor wants to see you about the result(s), you will be offered an appointment. If you are concerned about your test results, you will need to arrange an appointment with your doctor so that all relevant information including age, ethnicity, health history, signs and symptoms, laboratory and other procedures (radiology, endoscopy, etc.), can be considered.

Lab Tests Online-UK is an educational website designed to provide patients and carers with information on laboratory tests used in medical care. We are not a laboratory and are unable to comment on an individual's health and treatment.

Reference ranges are dependent on many factors, including patient age, sex, sample population, and test method, and numeric test results can have different meanings in different laboratories.

For these reasons, you will not find reference ranges for the majority of tests described on this web site. The lab report containing your test results should include the relevant reference range for your test(s). Please consult your doctor or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range if you do not have the lab report.

For more information on reference ranges, please read Reference Ranges and What They Mean.

What is being tested?

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is normally found only within the brain and the spinal canal. If you suffer an injury which causes a tear in the membranes covering the brain and spine, CSF may leak out from either the nose or the ear (rhinorrhoea or otorrhoea). Distinguishing CSF from other watery discharge involves looking for the presence of something which would normally only be found in CSF. Tau protein is beta 2 transferrin. This form of transferrin is present in CSF but not usually found in blood, nasal secretions, or other body fluids. The suspected sample should be examined along with a serum sample to confirm results.

Common Questions

How is it used?

If you suffer an injury (e.g. skull fracture) which causes a tear in the membranes covering the brain and spine, CSF may leak out from your nose or ear (rhinorrhoea or otorrhoea). It may be necessary to distinguish CSF from other watery discharge in these circumstances. This involves looking for the presence of something which would normally only be found in CSF, such as tau protein. This is a form of transferrin present in CSF but not usually found in blood, nasal secretions, or other body fluids. The suspected CSF should be examined along with a serum sample to confirm results.
When is it requested?

Tau protein would be requested when there is doubt over the origins of watery ear or nose discharge, following a high risk event such as a head injury.
What does the test result mean?

If the fluid from the nose or ear is indeed CSF, tau protein would be detected when the fluid sample was analysed. However, tau protein may be found in blood in certain circumstances, e.g. when the individual naturally produces certain transferrin types due to genetic variation, or when an individual consumes large amounts of alcohol. This is why a blood sample must be examined at the same time as the suspected CSF.
Is there anything else I should know?

CSF leaking from the nose or ear is very rare. Most nasal and ear discharges have an obvious straightforward explanation e.g. infection, and this type of analysis is only required in a very small number of cases where a doctor has a high level of suspicion about the source of discharge.

Tau protein is present in the neurofibrillary tangles found in Alzheimer disease. There is therefore interest in whether measurement of tau protein may help with diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer disease. Research is ongoing. Measurement in dementia is not recommended in routine clinical practice currently.