Investigation of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease implicated organ or tissue transplantation in the United Kingdom.
BACKGROUND
Person-to-person transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) has occurred through blood transfusion and could also theoretically occur as a result of the transplantation of organs or tissues. This study aimed to investigate whether there were transplant-associated vCJD cases in the United Kingdom (UK).


METHODS
Medical histories were reviewed for 177 UK vCJD cases to identify situations where the transplantation of organs or tissues might have occurred. A "look-back" was then performed to trace the respective donors or recipients of the implicated organ or tissue.


RESULTS
A single patient had undergone an organ (liver) transplant before vCJD onset, from a donor who had died of causes unrelated to vCJD. The look-back was able to trace six other organ or tissue donations made by the same donor. No other situations were identified where the receipt or donation of organs or tissues had occurred in people who went on to develop vCJD. There was considered no need, on this particular occasion, to implement public health measures associated with the organ transplantation, beyond those already in place.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides no evidence of transplant-associated vCJD in the UK. It is, however, important to continue to seek to identify individuals who might be at risk of vCJD by this route so that appropriate public health measures can be implemented.
1 National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK. 2 Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service Tissues and Cells Directorate, Aberdeen, UK. 3 NHS Blood and Transplant, London, UK. 4 Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service Tissues and Cells Directorate, Edinburgh, UK. 5 NHS National Services Scotland Public Health and Intelligence, Edinburgh, UK. 6 Address correspondence to: Anna Molesworth, M.Sc., Ph.D., National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.
Anna
A
Molesworth
Philip
P
Yates
Patricia E
PE
Hewitt
Jan
J
Mackenzie
James W
JW
Ironside
George
G
Galea
Hester J T
HJ
Ward
D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology