Prion protein and the red cell.
OBJECTIVE
This review focuses on transfusion-transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by red cell preparations.


RESULTS
Recently, three cases of probable transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob infectivity by transfusion of red cell preparations have been described in humans. Experiments on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies affecting rodents have led to the conclusion that infectivity in red cell preparations is not bound to the red cells themselves but contained within the suspending medium from which it can be removed by filtration.


CONCLUSIONS
Red cell preparations are the main transfusion product provided by blood services. If experiments demonstrating significant removal of rodent transmissible spongiform encephalopathy infections by filtration of red cell preparations are applicable to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob in humans then a method for rendering human red cell preparations safe for transfusion is provided.
Anstee
David J
DJ
Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences, National Blood Service, Bristol, UK. david.anstee@nbs.nhs.uk
D000818:Animals; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000379:methods; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005374:Filtration; D006801:Humans; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D011328:Prions / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D011328:Prions