Increased risk of chronic wasting disease in Rocky Mountain elk associated with decreased magnesium and increased manganese in brain tissue.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of Rocky Mountain elk in North America. Recent studies suggest that tissue and blood mineral levels may be valuable in assessing TSE infection in sheep and cattle. The objectives of this study were to examine baseline levels of copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and molybdenum in the brains of Rocky Mountain elk with differing prion genotypes and to assess the association of mineral levels with CWD infection. Elk with leucine at prion position 132 had significantly lower magnesium levels than elk with 2 copies of methionine. Chronic wasting disease-positive elk had significantly lower magnesium than control elk. The incorporation of manganese levels in addition to magnesium significantly refined explanatory ability, even though manganese alone was not significantly associated with CWD. This study demonstrated that mineral analysis may provide an additional disease correlate for assessing CWD risk, particularly in conjunction with genotype.
White
Stephen N
SN
U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Animal Disease Unit, Pullman, Washington, USA. swhite@vetmed.wsu.edu
O'Rourke
Katherine I
KI
Gidlewski
Thomas
T
VerCauteren
Kurt C
KC
Mousel
Michelle R
MR
Phillips
Gregory E
GE
Spraker
Terry R
TR
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism; D003670:Deer; D005838:Genotype; D007930:Leucine / Q000235:genetics; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism*; D008345:Manganese / Q000378:metabolism*; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D008982:Molybdenum / Q000378:metabolism; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism; D034081:Wasting Disease, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
D015415:Biomarkers; D011328:Prions; D008345:Manganese; D003300:Copper; D008982:Molybdenum; D008715:Methionine; D007930:Leucine; D012643:Selenium; D008274:Magnesium