title: Detection of proteinase K resistant proteins in the urine of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob and other neurodegenerative diseases.
abstract: Recent concern about the possible secondary spread of vCJD through blood transfusion and blood products has highlighted the need for a sensitive test for the identification of PrP(TSE/res) in clinical specimens collected in a non-invasive way. In addition, a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of pre-clinical vCJD in the population may be possible if there were a test that could be applied to easily available material such as urine. As a step towards this goal,the detection of putative PrP(TSE/res) in the urine of CJD patients has been improved, based on Proteinase K digestion of samples and western blotting. The modified western blot uses concentrated urine as a starting material. After proteolytic treatment followed by electrophoresis and western blotting, membranes are incubated with an anti-PrP antibody conjugated directly with horseradish peroxidase. This study was conducted on urine samples of CJD and other neurodegenerative disease affected individuals. Proteinase K resistant high molecular weight proteins were detected, which are suggested to be a complex of urinary PrP and immunoglobulin proteins. Whether urine can be used as a diagnostic tool for the detection of PrP could not be answered in this study.
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency, Virus Reference Department, London, United Kingdom. reza.dabaghian@hpa.org.uk
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dabaghian
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zerr
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heinemann
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zanusso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000652:urine*; D019286:Endopeptidase K / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000652:urine*; D011328:Prions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011328:Prions; D019286:Endopeptidase K