title: Inter-laboratory assessment of PrPSc typing in creutzfeldt-jakob disease: a Western blot study within the NeuroPrion Consortium.
abstract: Molecular typing is of considerable importance for the surveillance and epidemiology of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). It relies on the detection of distinct protease-resistant prion protein (PrP(Sc)) core fragments that differ in molecular mass and/or glycoform ratio. In this collaborative study, we tested the inter-laboratory agreement in TSE molecular typing. Sixteen characterized brain specimens from sporadic TSEs and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) cases were distributed blindly to seven laboratories for molecular characterization by a defined protocol and classification. Agreement between laboratories in the classification of samples was excellent. In particular, there were no differences in the distinction between PrP(Sc) type 1, type 2A, and type 2B with one exception, which eventually was identified as a case with types 1 and 2 co-occurrence. This shows that the general technique and particular classification system used here are robust and represent a reliable basis for diagnostic and epidemiologic purposes. The subtle further distinction of subtypes among type 1 and type 2 groups requires high-sensitivity gel electrophoresis protocols that are unsuitable for routine diagnostic needs and must be reserved for research investigations. Further research is necessary on the identification and significance of co-occurrence of PrP(Sc) types 1 and 2 within one brain.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy. hans.kretzschmar@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parchi
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Notari
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schimmel
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Budka
authors.forename: Isidre
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haik
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hauw
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Head
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Ironside
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Limido
authors.forename: Agustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ströbel
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tagliavini
authors.forename: Hans A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kretzschmar
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D018620:PrPSc Proteins