Cerebrovascular amyloid in scrapie-affected sheep reacts with antibodies to prion protein.

In an immunohistochemical study of naturally-occurring and experimental scrapie in sheep, deposits of cerebrovascular amyloid were found to react with antibodies to hamster scrapie prion protein (PrP 27-30), but not with antibodies to the amyloid beta-protein of Alzheimer's disease. It is concluded that this vascular amyloid is formed from PrP and is therefore closely associated with scrapie infection. It is likely that this amyloid is formed from a host precursor protein as a specific pathological consequence of invasion by the scrapie agent.