Biochemical identification of bovine spongiform encephalopathies in cattle.
Important changes have occurred in the post-mortem diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in recent years. We have evaluated a commercially available Western blot method (TeSeE Wb) as a potential means of confirming BSE. This method was (i) highly sensitive, compared with a biochemical confirmatory Western blot method (AFSSA-Wb) previously used in France and (ii) more sensitive than two routinely used highly sensitive rapid tests (TeSeE ELISA, HerdCheck BSE). We show that this high sensitivity is mainly due to the antibody used (Sha31). Interestingly, TeSeE Wb was also able to diagnose the two currently recognised deviant BSE phenotypes (H-type and L-type or BASE). The initially described molecular features of these atypical forms of BSE were also readily recognised, although sensitivity of the method may be differently affected by the chosen Ab compared with typical BSE. This method is thus of potential interest for future evaluations of BSE confirmatory methods.
Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments, Unité ATNC, 31 Avenue Tony Garnier, 69364, Lyon Cedex 07, France.
Jean-Noël
JN
Arsac
Anne-Gaëlle
AG
Biacabe
Julia
J
Nicollo
Anna
A
Bencsik
Thierry
T
Baron
D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002417:Cattle; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011328:Prions / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D011328:Prions; D020033:Protein Isoforms