NR ADEI
AU Debeer,S.O.S.; Baron,T.G.M.; Bencsik,A.A.
TI Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy diagnosis using PrPsc immunohistochemistry on fixed but previously frozen brain samples
QU Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 2002 May; 50(5): 611-6
PT journal article
AB The histological diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), such as scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), relies on identification in the brain of spongiosis, gliosis, and neuron loss without inflammatory lesions. Because of its sensitivity, immunohistochemistry of abnormal prion protein (PrPsc) is of great help in this diagnosis and can be used on its own or complementary to the biochemical detection of PrPsc. However, in some cases no formalin-fixed material is available, rendering its use as a complementary method impossible. For that purpose, we studied the possibility of detecting PrPsc immunohistochemically in fixed brain samples that had been previously frozen and used for Western blotting analysis. We compared freshly and fixed-frozen brain samples originating from the same sheep, either affected or unaffected with scrapie. We also studied fixed-frozen brain samples from scrapie-affected goats and from cows showing BSE. We showed that in all the species tested, despite damage to the histological structures, PrPsc was still detectable in the fixed-frozen brain sections without unspecific background staining. Notwithstanding the limited number of cases thus far analyzed, we have already demonstrated the possibility of using PrPsc immunohistochemistry on fixed-frozen brain samples with very good efficacy, thus rendering possible its use for diagnostic purposes in TSEs.
MH Animal; Brain/metabolism; Cattle; Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform/diagnosis; Female; Frozen Sections; Goats; Immunohistochemistry; PrPsc Proteins/*metabolism; Prion Diseases/*diagnosis; Scrapie/diagnosis; Sheep; Spinal Cord/metabolism; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Tissue Fixation
AD Sabine O. S. Debeer (s.debeer@lyon.afssa.fr), Thierry G. M. Baron (t.baron@lyon.afssa.fr), Anna A. Bencsik (a.bencsik@lyon.afssa.fr), Unité Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels (ATNC), Agence Francaise de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA), Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherches en Pathologie Bovine et Hygiène des Viandes, 31 Avenue Tony Garnier, 69364 Lyon cedex 07, France
SP englisch
PO USA