NR APAN
AU Woolfson,L.A.M.; Glover,D.G.; Pollard,B.J.; Pomfrett,C.J.D.
TI Symptomatic vCJD alters heart rate variability
QU International Conference - Prion diseases: from basic research to intervention concepts - TSE-Forum, 08.10.-10.10.2003, Gasteig, München - Poster session - DG-22
PT Konferenz-Poster
AB
Ante-mortem diagnosis of variant Creutzfeld Jacob Disease (vCJD) is based on the subjective assessment of clinical signs. Post mortem diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in animals routinely depends on the microscopic immunohistochemical identification of infectious prion in the vagal nuclei of the medulla oblongata (Wells et al, 1989), the vagus nerve being a suspected route of infection in some species (Beekes et al, 1998). It has already been suggested that symptomatic bovine spongiform encephalopathy is associated with disturbance in heart rate variability (HRV) (Pomfrett & Austin, 1997), possibly occurring as a result of functional changes in vagal nuclei in the presence of infectious prion, and we sought to determine whether this is also the case in humans exhibiting symptoms of vCJD.
300s samples of electrocardiogram (ECG) were collected at repeated intervals during a three month period from two subjects exhibiting definite clinical signs of vCJD, and who had also been confirmed as carrying infectious prion by tonsil biopsy. Control data were collected from seven healthy volunteers of comparable age not taking medication and with no relevant medical history.
We observed that symptomatic vCJD disturbed HRV. There was a significant difference in the variances of ECG R wave intervals between controls and vCJD suspects (Kruskal-Wallis H, p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the mean heart rates of the two groups. Power spectral analysis revealed a significant increase in low frequency HRV (0-0.05Hz) between the vCJD suspects and controls (Mann-Whitney U, p<0.05). Further work is needed with a much larger sample size. However, this study allows us to suggest that measurement of HRV has potential as a non-invasive aid to the diagnosis of vCJD.
Beekes M et al (1998) J Gen Virol 79(3): 601-7.
Pomfrett CJD & Austin AR (1997) J.Physiol. 501P: 69.
Wells GA et al (1989) Vet Rec 125(21): 521-4.
AD Laura A.M. Woolfson, Brian J. Pollard, Chris J.D. Pomfrett, The University of Manchester, UK; David G. Glover, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK
SP englisch
PO Deutschland