title: Transmission of prion diseases by blood transfusion.
abstract: Attempts to detect infectivity in the blood of humans and animals affected with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs or prion diseases) have often been inconclusive because of the limitations of cross-species bioassays and the small volumes of blood that can be injected by the intracerebral route. A model has been developed for the experimental study of TSE transmission by blood transfusion using sheep experimentally infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or natural scrapie as donors and susceptible scrapie-free sheep as recipients. Donors and recipients of the same species greatly increase the sensitivity of the bioassay and in sheep large volumes of blood can be injected by the intravenous (i.v.) route. Transmission of BSE to a single animal using this approach was reported recently. This study confirms this result with a second transmission of BSE and four new cases of transmission of natural scrapie. Positive transmissions occurred with blood taken at pre-clinical and clinical stages of infection. Initial studies indicate that following such infection by the i.v. route, deposition of the abnormal prion protein isoform, PrP(Sc), in peripheral tissues may be much more limited than is seen following oral infection. These results confirm the risks of TSE infection via blood products and suggest that the measures taken to restrict the use of blood in the UK have been fully justified.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Neuropathogenesis Unit, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JF, UK1.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Neuropathogenesis Unit, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JF, UK1.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Neuropathogenesis Unit, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JF, UK1.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 7NN, UK2.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McCutcheon
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Neuropathogenesis Unit, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JF, UK1.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parnham
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Neuropathogenesis Unit, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JF, UK1.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Neuropathogenesis Unit, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JF, UK1.
authors.forename: Calum
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacKenzie
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 7NN, UK2.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Houston
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission*; D012756:Sheep; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D018620:PrPSc Proteins