Characterization of antisera against scrapie-associated fibrils (SAF) from affected hamster and cross-reactivity with SAF from scrapie-affected mice and from patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Antisera raised in rabbits and also for the first time in mice against scrapie-associated fibril (SAF) protein from hamster brain have been quantified by a modified ELISA technique (NC-ELISA) and used for a detailed analysis of SAF proteins obtained from hamster, mouse, and from patients who died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The antisera predominantly detected five bands in a Western blot analysis with apparent molecular weights of about 26000 (26K), 24K, 20K, 18K and 16K. By gel electrophoresis these antigens seem to be identical in mouse, hamster and man. The amount of material in the various bands, however, varies according to host or agent. In control materials from healthy brain SAF protein was found to be absent even when this material was used in a 50-fold excess compared to diseased brain.