351
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Johnson RT, Gonzalez RG, Frosch MP. Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Case 27-2005. An 80-year-old man with fatigue, unsteady gait, and confusion. N Engl J Med 2005; 353:1042-50. [PMID: 16148290 DOI: 10.1056/nejmcpc059024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard T Johnson
- Department of Neurology, Microbiology, and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
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352
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Abstract
The cause of the original case or cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) remains an enigma. Sheep scrapie or a previously undetected sporadic bovine transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) have long been considered as candidates, but no convincing evidence to support these proposals has come to light. We present a new theory, with three related hypotheses: (1) that BSE was acquired from a human TSE (prion disease); (2) that the route of infection was oral, through animal feed containing imported mammalian raw materials contaminated with human remains; and (3) that the origin was the Indian subcontinent, from which large amounts of mammalian material were imported during the relevant time period. Human remains are known to be incorporated into meal made locally, and may still be entering exported material. Further investigations are needed into the sources of animal by-products used in animal feed manufacture, and into the the transmissibility of human TSEs to cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan C F Colchester
- Kent Institute of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7PD, UK.
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353
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Petersen RB, Siedlak SL, Lee HG, Kim YS, Nunomura A, Tagliavini F, Ghetti B, Cras P, Moreira PI, Castellani RJ, Guentchev M, Budka H, Ironside JW, Gambetti P, Smith MA, Perry G. Redox metals and oxidative abnormalities in human prion diseases. Acta Neuropathol 2005; 110:232-8. [PMID: 16096758 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-005-1034-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2005] [Revised: 04/18/2005] [Accepted: 04/18/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation of diffuse and aggregated plaques of protease-resistant prion protein (PrP) in the brains of affected individuals and animals. Whereas prion diseases in animals appear to be almost exclusively transmitted by infection, human prion diseases most often occur sporadically and, to a lesser extent, by inheritance or infection. In the sporadic cases (sporadic Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, sCJD), PrP-containing plaques are infrequent, whereas in transmitted (variant CJD) and inherited (Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Syndrome) cases, plaques are a usual feature. In the current study, representative cases from each of the classes of human prion disease were analyzed for the presence of markers of oxidative damage that have been found in other neurodegenerative diseases. Interestingly, we found that the pattern of deposition of PrP, amyloid-beta, and redox active metals was distinct for the various prion diseases. Whereas 8-hydroxyguanosine has been shown to be increased in sCJD, and inducible NOS is increased in scrapie-infected mice, well-studied markers of oxidative damage that accumulate in the lesions of other neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Parkinson's disease), such as heme oxygenase-1 and lipid peroxidation, were not found around PrP deposits or in vulnerable neurons. These findings suggest an important distinction in prion-related oxidative stress, indicating that different neurodegenerative pathways are involved in different prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B Petersen
- Institute of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, 2085 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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354
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Bertram L, Tanzi RE. The genetic epidemiology of neurodegenerative disease. J Clin Invest 2005; 115:1449-57. [PMID: 15931380 PMCID: PMC1137006 DOI: 10.1172/jci24761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 416] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene defects play a major role in the pathogenesis of degenerative disorders of the nervous system. In fact, it has been the very knowledge gained from genetic studies that has allowed the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the etiology and pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we discuss the current status of genetic epidemiology of the most common neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington disease, and prion diseases, with a particular focus on similarities and differences among these syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Bertram
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA.
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355
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Van Everbroeck B, Boons J, Cras P. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2005; 107:355-60. [PMID: 16023527 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2004.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2004] [Revised: 11/30/2004] [Accepted: 12/03/2004] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder. Since the emergence of variant CJD (vCJD) vigilance concerning the disease's incidence has increased and the interest in accurate in vivo diagnosis has augmented. So far, a large number of biomarkers has been investigated as aid in the differential diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) and vCJD. These include, among others, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), microtubuli associated protein Tau, S-100beta, amyloid-beta (Abeta(1-42)) and the 14-3-3 protein. Multiple studies have confirmed that CSF detection of 14-3-3 protein by Western blot was the best single biomarker for sCJD with an average sensitivity and specificity of 92%. Also, in genetic and iatrogenic CJD (iCJD) patients with an average disease duration of less than 1 year, 14-3-3 is the best differential biomarker. Unfortunately, the 14-3-3 protein has a lower sensitivity if the disease duration exceeds beyond 1 year in both sporadic CJD and other CJD types (vCJD, and specific genetic or iatrogenic CJD types).
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Affiliation(s)
- B Van Everbroeck
- Born Bunge Foundation, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurobiology, Campus Drie Eiken, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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356
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Abstract
The proposal that the transmissible agent in prion diseases can be a conformationally altered host protein that multiplies by autocatalytic conversion has gained wide acceptance. Recent work shows that the agent, the prion, can be replicated in a cell-free system, that it can be generated de novo, and that the strain-specific properties of prions are encoded by conformational variations of the underlying protein.
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357
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Santuccione A, Sytnyk V, Leshchyns'ka I, Schachner M. Prion protein recruits its neuronal receptor NCAM to lipid rafts to activate p59fyn and to enhance neurite outgrowth. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 169:341-54. [PMID: 15851519 PMCID: PMC2171870 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200409127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 320] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In spite of advances in understanding the role of the cellular prion protein (PrP) in neural cell interactions, the mechanisms of PrP function remain poorly characterized. We show that PrP interacts directly with the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and associates with NCAM at the neuronal cell surface. Both cis and trans interactions between NCAM at the neuronal surface and PrP promote recruitment of NCAM to lipid rafts and thereby regulate activation of fyn kinase, an enzyme involved in NCAM-mediated signaling. Cis and trans interactions between NCAM and PrP promote neurite outgrowth. When these interactions are disrupted in NCAM-deficient and PrP-deficient neurons or by PrP antibodies, NCAM/PrP-dependent neurite outgrowth is arrested, indicating that PrP is involved in nervous system development cooperating with NCAM as a signaling receptor.
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358
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Lee JE, Choi JH, Lee JH, Lee MG. Gene SNPs and mutations in clinical genetic testing: haplotype-based testing and analysis. Mutat Res 2005; 573:195-204. [PMID: 15829248 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2004.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2004] [Accepted: 08/10/2004] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Haplotype-based analysis using high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers have gained increasing attention in evaluating candidate genes in various clinical situations. For example, haplotype information is useful for predicting the severity and prognosis of certain genetic disorders. The intragenic cis-interactions between the common polymorphisms and the pathogenic mutations of prion protein (PRNP) and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) genes greatly influence the phenotypes and the disease penetrance of hereditary Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and cystic fibrosis. Merits of haplotype study are more evident in the fine mapping of complex diseases and in identifying genetic variations that influence individual's response to drugs. Knowledge-based approaches and/or linkage analyses using SNP tagged haplotypes are effective tools in detecting genetic associations. For example, haplotype studies in the inflammatory bowel disease susceptibility loci revealed diverse cis and trans gene-gene interactions, which can affect the clinical outcomes. Although currently, we have very limited knowledge on haplotype-phenotypic characterizations of most genes, these examples demonstrate that increased understanding of the clinically relevant haplotypes will provide better results in the diagnosis and possibly in the treatment of both monogenic and polygenic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Eun Lee
- DNA Link Inc., 15-1 Yeonhui 1-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-110, Republic of Korea
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359
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Bertrand A, Martinez-Almoyna L, De Broucker T. [Hereditary Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease caused by a mutation at codon 200]. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2005; 161:351-4. [PMID: 15800459 DOI: 10.1016/s0035-3787(05)85062-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A typical case of genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a 39-year-old woman without remarkable familial history is described. CASE REPORT Initial symptoms were disequilibrium, cerebellar syndrome and complex neurovisual complaints. EEG was pseudoperiodic. NSE and 14-3-3 protein levels were elevated in the CSF. MRI showed anomalies of the anterior parts of the putamen and the caudate nuclei on the MRI T2 FLAIR sequence, mainly on diffusion sequences. A quinacrine test did not yield any effect. Death eventually occurred 8 months after the first symptoms. CONCLUSION Current data on genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are briefly reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bertrand
- Service de Neurologie, Hôpital Delafontaine, Saint-Denis, France
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360
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Roeber S, Krebs B, Neumann M, Windl O, Zerr I, Grasbon-Frodl EM, Kretzschmar HA. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a patient with an R208H mutation of the prion protein gene (PRNP) and a 17-kDa prion protein fragment. Acta Neuropathol 2005; 109:443-8. [PMID: 15739100 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-004-0978-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2004] [Revised: 12/09/2004] [Accepted: 12/13/2004] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) with a rare mutation of the prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP) at codon 208 (R208H) is described. By comparison with two preceding reports, the case described here displayed two distinct biochemical and neuropathological features. Western blot analysis of brain homogenates showed, in addition to the commonly observed three bands of abnormal protease-resistant PrP isoform (PrP(Sc)), an additional band of about 17 kDa. Neuropathological examination of the post mortem brain revealed tau pathology in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, as well as ballooned neurons in the cortex, hippocampus and subcortical gray matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigrun Roeber
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Feodor-Lynen-Srasse 23, 81377, München, Germany
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361
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362
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Williamson J, LaRusse S. Genetics and genetic counseling: recommendations for Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2004; 4:351-7. [PMID: 15324600 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-004-0081-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we discuss the clinical genetics of three neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), the current application of genetic testing for these diseases, and the role of genetic counseling in familial dementia. We review the literature addressing the clinical application of these genetic findings, including susceptibility testing and predictive testing. In addition, we share our own experience working with families with familial neurodegenerative disease, the genetic counseling process, and the major issues that need attention in the genetic counseling setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Williamson
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain and the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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363
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Janka J, Maldarelli F. Prion diseases: Update on mad cow disease, variant creutzfeldt-jakob disease, and the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Curr Infect Dis Rep 2004; 6:305-315. [PMID: 15265460 DOI: 10.1007/s11908-004-0053-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorders that share a common spongiform histopathology. TSEs may be transmitted in a sporadic, familial, iatrogenic, or zoonotic fashion. The putative infectious agent of TSE, the prion, represents a novel paradigm of infectious disease with disease transmission in the absence of nucleic acid. Several small but spectacular epidemics of TSEs in man have prompted widespread public health and food safety concerns. Although TSEs affect a comparatively small number of individuals, prion research has revealed fascinating insights of direct relevance to common illnesses. This paper reviews recent advances that have shed new light on the nature of prions and TSEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Janka
- NCI, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 12S245, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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364
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Zou WQ, Zheng J, Gray DM, Gambetti P, Chen SG. Antibody to DNA detects scrapie but not normal prion protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:1380-5. [PMID: 14734804 PMCID: PMC337061 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0307825100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders, are characterized by the presence of the abnormal scrapie isoform of prion protein (PrP(Sc)) in affected brains. A conformational change is believed to convert the normal cellular prion protein into PrP(Sc). Detection of PrP(Sc) for diagnosis and prophylaxis is impaired because available Abs recognizing epitopes on PrP fail to distinguish between PrP(Sc) and normal cellular prion protein. Here, we report that an anti-DNA Ab, OCD4, as well as gene 5 protein, a well established DNA-binding protein, capture PrP from brains affected by prion diseases in both humans and animals but not from unaffected controls. OCD4 appears to immunoreact with DNA (or a DNA-associated molecule) that forms a conformation-dependent complex with PrP in prion diseases. Whereas PrP immunocaptured by OCD4 is largely protease-resistant, a fraction of it remains protease-sensitive. Moreover, OCD4 detects disease-associated PrP >10 times more efficiently than a widely used Ab to PrP. Our finding that anti-DNA Abs and gene 5 protein specifically target disease-associated DNA-PrP complexes in a wide variety of species and disease phenotypes opens new avenues in the study and diagnosis of prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Quan Zou
- Institute of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University and National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, 2085 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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365
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McNaught KSP. Proteolytic dysfunction in neurodegenerative disorders. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2004; 62:95-119. [PMID: 15530569 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7742(04)62003-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin St P McNaught
- Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA
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