NR APIJ
AU Jeffries,D.J.
TI Levels of abnormal prion protein in dental tissue
QU British Dental Journal 2003 Sep 27; 195(6): 331
PT journal article
AB
Objective
To study the distribution of disease-associated prion protein (PrP) in oral and dental tissues in variant CJD.DesignProspective single centre autopsy based study.
Setting
Within the National CJD Surveillance Unit, UK, 2000-2002.
Materials and methods
Patients with suspected variant CJD undergoing autopsy where permission to remove tissues for research purposes had been obtained from the relatives. Fixed and frozen autopsy tissues from the brain, trigeminal ganglion, alveolar nerve, dental pulp, gingiva, salivary gland, tongue and tonsils were studied by Western blot, PET blot and immunocytochemistry to detect disease-associated PrP.
Results
Disease-associated PrP was only detected in the brain, trigeminal ganglia and tonsils.
Conclusions
The failure to detect disease-associated PrP in most dental and oral tissues will help inform ongoing risk assessments for dental surgery in relation to the possible iatrogenic transmission of variant CJD via dental instruments.
AD 1Professor Donald J. Jeffries, Professor of Virology Head of Department of Medical Microbiology, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospitals.
SP englisch
PO England