Terry L A, Howells L, Hawthorn J, Edwards J C, Moore S J, Bellworthy S J, Simmons H, Lizano S, Estey L, Leathers V, Everest S J
Department of Molecular Pathogenesis and Genetics,Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Surrey KT15 3NB, United Kingdom.
J Virol. 2009 Dec;83(23):12552-8. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00311-09. Epub 2009 Sep 9.
The role of blood in the iatrogenic transmission of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) or prion disease has become an increasing concern since the reports of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) transmission through blood transfusion from humans with subclinical infection. The development of highly sensitive rapid assays to screen for prion infection in blood is of high priority in order to facilitate the prevention of transmission via blood and blood products. In the present study we show that PrP(sc), a surrogate marker for TSE infection, can be detected in cells isolated from the blood from naturally and experimentally infected sheep by using a rapid ligand-based immunoassay. In sheep with clinical disease, PrP(sc) was detected in the blood of 55% of scrapie agent-infected animals (n = 80) and 71% of animals with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (n = 7). PrP(sc) was also detected several months before the onset of clinical signs in a subset of scrapie agent-infected sheep, followed from 3 months of age to clinical disease. This study confirms that PrP(sc) is associated with the cellular component of blood and can be detected in preclinical sheep by an immunoassay in the absence of in vitro or in vivo amplification.
自从有报告称通过输血将变异型克雅氏病（vCJD）从亚临床感染的人类传播以来，血液在医源性传播可传播性海绵状脑病（TSE）或朊病毒病中的作用越来越受到关注。开发高灵敏度的快速检测方法以筛查血液中的朊病毒感染，对于预防通过血液和血液制品传播至关重要。在本研究中，我们表明，使用基于配体的快速免疫测定法，可以在从自然感染和实验感染绵羊的血液中分离出的细胞中检测到TSE感染的替代标志物PrP(sc)。在患有临床疾病的绵羊中，在55%的痒病病原体感染动物（n = 80）和71%的牛海绵状脑病动物（n = 7）的血液中检测到PrP(sc)。在一部分痒病病原体感染的绵羊中，在临床症状出现前几个月也检测到了PrP(sc)，这些绵羊从3月龄开始跟踪至出现临床疾病。本研究证实，PrP(sc)与血液的细胞成分相关，并且在没有体外或体内扩增的情况下，可以通过免疫测定法在临床前绵羊中检测到。
