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Piel RB, Veneziano SE, Nicholson EM, Walsh DP, Lomax AD, Nichols TA, Seabury CM, Schneider DA. Validation of a real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay protocol to detect chronic wasting disease using rectal mucosa of naturally infected, pre-clinical white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303037. [PMID: 38870153 PMCID: PMC11175469 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease of cervids spreading across North America. More effective mitigation efforts may require expansion of the available toolkit to include new methods that provide earlier antemortem detection, higher throughput, and less expense than current immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods. The rectal mucosa near the rectoanal junction is a site of early accumulation of CWD prions and is safely sampled in living animals by pinch biopsy. A fluorescence-based, 96-well format, protein-aggregation assay-the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay-is capable of ultra-sensitive detection of CWD prions. Notably, the recombinant protein substrate is crucial to the assay's performance and is now commercially available. In this blinded independent study, the preclinical diagnostic performance of a standardized RT-QuIC protocol using a commercially sourced substrate (MNPROtein) and a laboratory-produced substrate was studied using mock biopsy samples of the rectal mucosa from 284 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). The samples were from a frozen archive of intact rectoanal junctions collected at depopulations of farmed herds positive for CWD in the United States. All deer were pre-clinical at the time of depopulation and infection status was established from the regulatory record, which evaluated the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes (MRPLNs) and obex by CWD-IHC. A pre-analytic sample precipitation step was found to enhance the protocol's detection limit. Performance metrics were influenced by the choice of RT-QuIC diagnostic cut points (minimum number of positive wells and assay time) and by deer attributes (preclinical infection stage and prion protein genotype). The peak overall diagnostic sensitivities of the protocol were similar for both substrates (MNPROtein, 76.8%; laboratory-produced, 73.2%), though each was achieved at different cut points. Preclinical infection stage and prion protein genotype at codon 96 (G = glycine, S = serine) were primary predictors of sensitivity. The diagnostic sensitivities in late preclinical infections (CWD-IHC positive MPRLNs and obex) were similar, ranging from 96% in GG96 deer to 80% in xS96 deer (x = G or S). In early preclinical infections (CWD-IHC positive MRPLNs only), the diagnostic sensitivity was 64-71% in GG96 deer but only 25% in xS96 deer. These results demonstrate that this standardized RT-QuIC protocol for rectal biopsy samples using a commercial source of substrate produced stratified diagnostic sensitivities similar to or greater than those reported for CWD-IHC but in less than 30 hours of assay time and in a 96-well format. Notably, the RT-QuIC protocol used herein represents a standardization of protocols from several previous studies. Alignment of the sensitivities across these studies suggests the diagnostic performance of the assay is robust given quality reagents, optimized diagnostic criteria, and experienced staff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B. Piel
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Disease Research Unit, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Susan E. Veneziano
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Eric M. Nicholson
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Aaron D. Lomax
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Tracy A. Nichols
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Seabury
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - David A. Schneider
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Disease Research Unit, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
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2
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Pearce DL, Edson JE, Jennelle CS, Walter WD. Evaluation of DNA yield from various tissue and sampling sources for use in single nucleotide polymorphism panels. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11340. [PMID: 38760358 PMCID: PMC11101418 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56128-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetics studies are used by wildlife managers and researchers to gain inference into a population of a species of interest. To gain these insights, microsatellites have been the primary method; however, there currently is a shift from microsatellites to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). With the different DNA requirements between microsatellites and SNPs, an investigation into which samples can provide adequate DNA yield is warranted. Using samples that were collected from previous genetic projects from regions in the USA from 2014 to 2021, we investigated the DNA yield of eight sample categories to gain insights into which provided adequate DNA to be used in ddRADseq or already developed high- or medium-density SNP panels. We found seven sample categories that met the DNA requirements for use in all three panels, and one sample category that did not meet any of the three panels requirements; however, DNA integrity was highly variable and not all sample categories that met panel DNA requirements could be considered high quality DNA. Additionally, we used linear random-effects models to determine which covariates would have the greatest influence on DNA yield. We determined that all covariates (tissue type, storage method, preservative, DNA quality, time until DNA extraction and time after DNA extraction) could influence DNA yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Pearce
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, 413 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Jessie E Edson
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, 413 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Chris S Jennelle
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 5463 West Broadway Ave., Forest Lake, MN, 55025, USA
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological and Water Resources, Nongame Wildlife Program, St Paul, MN, 55155, USA
| | - W David Walter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, 403 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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3
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Inzalaco HN, Brandell EE, Wilson SP, Hunsaker M, Stahler DR, Woelfel K, Walsh DP, Nordeen T, Storm DJ, Lichtenberg SS, Turner WC. Detection of prions from spiked and free-ranging carnivore feces. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3804. [PMID: 38360908 PMCID: PMC10869337 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44167-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a highly contagious, fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by infectious prions (PrPCWD) affecting wild and captive cervids. Although experimental feeding studies have demonstrated prions in feces of crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), coyotes (Canis latrans), and cougars (Puma concolor), the role of scavengers and predators in CWD epidemiology remains poorly understood. Here we applied the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay to detect PrPCWD in feces from cervid consumers, to advance surveillance approaches, which could be used to improve disease research and adaptive management of CWD. We assessed recovery and detection of PrPCWD by experimental spiking of PrPCWD into carnivore feces from 9 species sourced from CWD-free populations or captive facilities. We then applied this technique to detect PrPCWD from feces of predators and scavengers in free-ranging populations. Our results demonstrate that spiked PrPCWD is detectable from feces of free-ranging mammalian and avian carnivores using RT-QuIC. Results show that PrPCWD acquired in natural settings is detectable in feces from free-ranging carnivores, and that PrPCWD rates of detection in carnivore feces reflect relative prevalence estimates observed in the corresponding cervid populations. This study adapts an important diagnostic tool for CWD, allowing investigation of the epidemiology of CWD at the community-level.
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Affiliation(s)
- H N Inzalaco
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - E E Brandell
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - S P Wilson
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N 33rd St., P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE, 68503, USA
| | - M Hunsaker
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - D R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
| | - K Woelfel
- Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation Program, 27264 MN-18, Garrison, MN, 56450, USA
| | - D P Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - T Nordeen
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N 33rd St., P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE, 68503, USA
| | - D J Storm
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Eau Claire, WI, 54701, USA
| | - S S Lichtenberg
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - W C Turner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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4
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Soto P, Bravo-Risi F, Kramm C, Gamez N, Benavente R, Bonilla DL, Reed JH, Lockwood M, Spraker TR, Nichols T, Morales R. Nasal bots carry relevant titers of CWD prions in naturally infected white-tailed deer. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:334-350. [PMID: 38191872 PMCID: PMC10883265 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-023-00003-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting farmed and free-ranging cervids. CWD is rapidly expanding across North America and its mechanisms of transmission are not completely understood. Considering that cervids are commonly afflicted by nasal bot flies, we tested the potential of these parasites to transmit CWD. Parasites collected from naturally infected white-tailed deer were evaluated for their prion content using the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) technology and bioassays. Here, we describe PMCA seeding activity in nasal bot larvae collected from naturally infected, nonclinical deer. These parasites efficiently infect CWD-susceptible mice in ways suggestive of high infectivity titers. To further mimic environmental transmission, bot larvae homogenates were mixed with soils, and plants were grown on them. We show that both soils and plants exposed to CWD-infected bot homogenates displayed seeding activity by PMCA. This is the first report describing prion infectivity in a naturally occurring deer parasite. Our data also demonstrate that CWD prions contained in nasal bots interact with environmental components and may be relevant for disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisca Bravo-Risi
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Kramm
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nazaret Gamez
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Denise L Bonilla
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - J Hunter Reed
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | | | - Terry R Spraker
- Colorado State University Diagnostic Medical Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Tracy Nichols
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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5
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Pereira JC, Gonçalves-Anjo N, Orge L, Pires MA, Rocha S, Figueira L, Matos AC, Silva J, Mendonça P, Carvalho P, Tavares P, Lima C, Alves A, Esteves A, Pinto ML, Pires I, Gama A, Sargo R, Silva F, Seixas F, Vieira-Pinto M, Bastos E. Estimating sequence diversity of prion protein gene ( PRNP) in Portuguese populations of two cervid species: red deer and fallow deer. Prion 2023; 17:75-81. [PMID: 36945178 PMCID: PMC10038017 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2023.2191540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids is now a rising concern in wildlife within Europe, after the detection of the first case in Norway in 2016, in a wild reindeer and until June 2022 a total of 34 cases were described in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The definite diagnosis is post-mortem, performed in target areas of the brain and lymph nodes. Samples are first screened using a rapid test and, if positive, confirmed by immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblotting. The study of the genetics of the prion protein gene, PRNP, has been proved to be a valuable tool for determining the relative susceptibility to TSEs. In the present study, the exon 3 of PRNP gene of 143 samples from red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) of Portugal was analysed. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in red deer - codon A136A, codon T98A, codon Q226E - and no sequence variation was detected in fallow deer. The low genetic diversity found in our samples is compatible with previous studies in Europe. The comparison with results from North America suggests that the free-ranging deer from our study may present susceptibility to CWD, although lack of experimental data and the necessity of continuous survey are necessary to evaluate these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge C Pereira
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Nuno Gonçalves-Anjo
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Leonor Orge
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Maria A Pires
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Sara Rocha
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Luís Figueira
- Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB), Castelo Branco, Portugal
| | - Ana C Matos
- Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB), Castelo Branco, Portugal
| | - João Silva
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula Mendonça
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paulo Carvalho
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula Tavares
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Carla Lima
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Anabela Alves
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | | | - Maria L Pinto
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Isabel Pires
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Adelina Gama
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Roberto Sargo
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Filipe Silva
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Seixas
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | | | - Estela Bastos
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
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6
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Bravo-Risi F, Soto P, Benavente R, Nichols TA, Morales R. Dynamics of CWD prion detection in feces and blood from naturally infected white-tailed deer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20170. [PMID: 37978207 PMCID: PMC10656452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46929-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervids. Confirmatory testing of CWD is currently performed postmortem in obex and lymphoid tissues. Extensive evidence demonstrates the presence of infectious prions in feces of CWD-infected deer using in vitro prion-amplification techniques and bioassays. In experimental conditions, this has been achieved as soon as 6-month post-inoculation, suggesting this sample type is a candidate for antemortem diagnosis. In the present study, we optimized the detection of CWD-prions in fecal samples from naturally infected, pre-clinical white-tailed deer by comparing protocols aiming to concentrate CWD-prions with direct spiking of the sample into the PMCA reactions. Results of this screening were compared with similar analyses made in blood. Our data shows that CWD-prion detection in feces using PMCA is best in the absence of sample pre-treatments. We performed a screening of 169 fecal samples, detecting CWD-prions with diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 54.81% and 98.46%, respectively. In addition, the PMCA seeding activity of 76 fecal samples was compared with that on blood of matched deer. Our findings, demonstrate that CWD-prions in feces and blood are increased at late pre-clinical stages, exhibiting similar detection in both sample types (> 90% sensitivity) when PrP96GG animals are tested. Our findings contribute to understand prion distribution across different biological samples and polymorphic variants in white-tailed deer. This information is also relevant for the current efforts to identify platforms to diagnose CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Bravo-Risi
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tracy A Nichols
- Veterinary Services Cervid Health Program, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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7
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Kraft CN, Denkers ND, Mathiason CK, Hoover EA. Longitudinal detection of prion shedding in nasal secretions of CWD-infected white-tailed deer. J Gen Virol 2023; 104:001825. [PMID: 36748533 PMCID: PMC10233467 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emergent prion disease spreading in cervid populations in North America, South Korea and Scandinavia. Rapid detection of CWD prions shed by live animals using minimally invasive methods remains an important need. Previous studies in deer, elk and hamsters have demonstrated prion replication in the nasal olfactory mucosa, yet the temporal profile of CWD prion shedding in nasal secretions has not been well characterized. Here we report nasal prion shedding in 18 deer orally exposed to low doses of CWD prions and monitored longitudinally by several parameters. Serially collected nasal swabs were assayed for CWD prion seeding activity using iron oxide magnetic extraction and real-time quaking-induced conversion (IOME RT-QuIC). These findings were correlated with the results from longitudinal tonsil biopsies, terminal tissues and PRNP genotype. We detected nasal prion shedding 3-16 months after the first positive tonsil biopsy in ten of the 18 deer; detectable shedding persisted thereafter in nine of the ten animals. Surprisingly, nasal swabs were negative in eight deer, even though all were CWD-infected as determined by tonsil biopsies and terminal tissue assays. Nasal shedding was detected more often in deer that were homozygous for glycine at codon 96, and those that were near or demonstrating symptoms of clinical disease shed earlier and more frequently, irrespective of prion exposure dose. The results of this study demonstrate nasal shedding of CWD prions that can be detected using minimally invasive nasal swab sampling and RT-QuIC analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn N. Kraft
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Nathaniel D. Denkers
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Tewari D, Fasnacht M, Ritzman M, Livengood J, Bower J, Lehmkuhl A, Nichols T, Hamberg A, Brightbill K, Henderson D. Detection of chronic wasting disease in feces and recto-anal mucosal associated lymphoid tissues with RT-QuIC in a naturally infected farmed white-tailed deer herd. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:959555. [PMID: 36176702 PMCID: PMC9513346 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.959555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious prion disease affecting the cervids, including white-tailed deer (WTD) (Odocoileus virginianus). CWD is typically diagnosed postmortem in farmed cervids by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Amplification-based detection methods are newer generation tests currently being evaluated to improve the detection of prion disease. In addition to improving sensitivity, antemortem detection by amplification assays is a focus for improving disease control and management. In this study, we evaluate the use of real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) to detect CWD in fecal and recto-anal mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) samples from naturally infected farmed WTD herds at postmortem. We successfully detected the presence of CWD prions in WTD RAMALT with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 85.7% (n = 71) and in feces with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 60% (n = 69), utilizing RT-QuIC on samples collected postmortem. Seeding activity detected in RAMALT (15.3 ± 4.2%, n = 18) was much stronger than in feces (44.4 ± 4.2%, n = 15), as measured by cycle threshold (Ct) and rise in relative fluorescence in samples collected from the same WTD. Prion detection in the RAMALT (94.7%) and feces (70.5%) was highest when both obex and retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLNs) were positive for CWD via IHC. In the study group, we were also able to test prion protein gene variants and associated disease susceptibility. A majority of tested WTD were the CWD genotype (96 GG) and also harbored the highest percentage of positive animals (43.7%). The second highest population of WTD was the genotype 96 GS and had a CWD positivity rate of 37.5%. Each of these groups showed no difference in RAMALT or fecal detection of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepanker Tewari
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Deepanker Tewari
| | - Melinda Fasnacht
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Margaret Ritzman
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Julia Livengood
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Jessica Bower
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Aaron Lehmkuhl
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Tracy Nichols
- Veterinary Services Cervid Health Program, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Alex Hamberg
- Bureau of Animal Health, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Kevin Brightbill
- Bureau of Animal Health, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA, United States
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Gene-Edited Cell Models to Study Chronic Wasting Disease. Viruses 2022; 14:v14030609. [PMID: 35337016 PMCID: PMC8950194 DOI: 10.3390/v14030609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. They are caused by the misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), PrPSc, and currently no options exist to prevent or cure prion diseases. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, elk and other cervids is considered the most contagious prion disease, with extensive shedding of infectivity into the environment. Cell culture models provide a versatile platform for convenient quantification of prions, for studying the molecular and cellular biology of prions, and for performing high-throughput screening of potential therapeutic compounds. Unfortunately, only a very limited number of cell lines are available that facilitate robust and persistent propagation of CWD prions. Gene-editing using programmable nucleases (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9 (CC9)) has proven to be a valuable tool for high precision site-specific gene modification, including gene deletion, insertion, and replacement. CC9-based gene editing was used recently for replacing the PrP gene in mouse and cell culture models, as efficient prion propagation usually requires matching sequence homology between infecting prions and prion protein in the recipient host. As expected, such gene-editing proved to be useful for developing CWD models. Several transgenic mouse models were available that propagate CWD prions effectively, however, mostly fail to reproduce CWD pathogenesis as found in the cervid host, including CWD prion shedding. This is different for the few currently available knock-in mouse models that seem to do so. In this review, we discuss the available in vitro and in vivo models of CWD, and the impact of gene-editing strategies.
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10
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Holz CL, Darish JR, Straka K, Grosjean N, Bolin S, Kiupel M, Sreevatsan S. Evaluation of Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion, ELISA, and Immunohistochemistry for Chronic Wasting Disease Diagnosis. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:824815. [PMID: 35118153 PMCID: PMC8803730 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.824815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible prion disorder, primarily affecting free-ranging and captive cervids in North America (United States and Canada), South Korea, and Europe (Finland, Norway, and Sweden). Current diagnostic methods used in the United States for detection of CWD in hunter harvested deer involve demonstration of the causal misfolded prion protein (PrPCWD) in the obex or retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLNs) using an antigen detection ELISA as a screening tool, followed by a confirmation by the gold standard method, immunohistochemistry (IHC). Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay is a newer approach that amplifies misfolded CWD prions in vitro and has facilitated CWD prion detection in a variety of tissues, body fluids, and excreta. The current study was undertaken to compare ELISA, IHC, and RT-QuIC on RLNs (n = 1,300 animals) from white-tailed deer (WTD) in Michigan. In addition, prescapular, prefemoral and popliteal lymph nodes collected from a small subset (n = 7) of animals were tested. Lastly, the location of the positive samples within Michigan was documented and the percentage of CWD positive RLNs was calculated by sex and age. ELISA and RT-QuIC detected PrPCWD in 184 and 178 out of 1,300 RLNs, respectively. Of the 184 ELISA positive samples, 176 were also IHC positive for CWD. There were seven discordant results when comparing IHC and ELISA. RT-QuIC revealed that six of the seven samples matched the IHC outcomes. One RLN was negative by IHC, but positive by ELISA and RT-QuIC. RT-QuIC, IHC, and ELISA also detected PrPCWD in prescapular, prefemoral and popliteal lymph nodes. CWD infection heterogeneities were observed in different age and sex groups, with young males having higher CWD prevalence. All, except one, CWD positive RLNs analyzed were from ten Counties geographically located in the West Michigan region of the Lower Peninsula. Taken together, we show evidence that the RT-QuIC assay is comparable to ELISA and IHC and could be helpful for routine CWD detection in surveillance programs. RT-QuIC also demonstrated that CWD prions are distributed across lymph nodes in a variety of anatomic locations. A multi-laboratory validation on blinded sample panels is underway and is likely to help to provide insight into the variability (lab-to-lab), analytical sensitivity, and specificity of gold standard diagnostics vs. RT-QuIC assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carine L Holz
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Joseph R Darish
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Kelly Straka
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Nicole Grosjean
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Steven Bolin
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Matti Kiupel
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Srinand Sreevatsan
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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11
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Kincaid AE. The Role of the Nasal Cavity in the Pathogenesis of Prion Diseases. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112287. [PMID: 34835094 PMCID: PMC8621399 DOI: 10.3390/v13112287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a class of fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by the entry and spread of infectious prion proteins (PrPSc) in the central nervous system (CNS). These diseases are endemic to certain mammalian animal species that use their sense of smell for a variety of purposes and therefore expose their nasal cavity (NC) to PrPSc in the environment. Prion diseases that affect humans are either inherited due to a mutation of the gene that encodes the prion protein, acquired by exposure to contaminated tissues or medical devices, or develop without a known cause (referred to as sporadic). The purpose of this review is to identify components of the NC that are involved in prion transport and to summarize the evidence that the NC serves as a route of entry (centripetal spread) and/or a source of shedding (centrifugal spread) of PrPSc, and thus plays a role in the pathogenesis of the TSEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony E Kincaid
- Departments of Pharmacy Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
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12
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Selective Breeding for Disease-Resistant PRNP Variants to Manage Chronic Wasting Disease in Farmed Whitetail Deer. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091396. [PMID: 34573378 PMCID: PMC8471411 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of cervids caused by a misfolded variant of the normal cellular prion protein, and it is closely related to sheep scrapie. Variations in a host's prion gene, PRNP, and its primary protein structure dramatically affect susceptibility to specific prion disorders, and breeding for PRNP variants that prevent scrapie infection has led to steep declines in the disease in North American and European sheep. While resistant alleles have been identified in cervids, a PRNP variant that completely prevents CWD has not yet been identified. Thus, control of the disease in farmed herds traditionally relies on quarantine and depopulation. In CWD-endemic areas, depopulation of private herds becomes challenging to justify, leading to opportunities to manage the disease in situ. We developed a selective breeding program for farmed white-tailed deer in a high-prevalence CWD-endemic area which focused on reducing frequencies of highly susceptible PRNP variants and introducing animals with less susceptible variants. With the use of newly developed primers, we found that breeding followed predictable Mendelian inheritance, and early data support our project's utility in reducing CWD prevalence. This project represents a novel approach to CWD management, with future efforts building on these findings.
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13
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Li M, Schwabenlander MD, Rowden GR, Schefers JM, Jennelle CS, Carstensen M, Seelig D, Larsen PA. RT-QuIC detection of CWD prion seeding activity in white-tailed deer muscle tissues. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16759. [PMID: 34408204 PMCID: PMC8373970 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96127-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease circulating in wild and farmed cervid populations throughout North America (United States and Canada), Europe (Finland, Norway, Sweden), and South Korea. CWD is a long-term threat to all cervid populations and to cervid hunting heritage, with the potential to cause substantial economic losses across multiple sectors. In North America, hunting and farming industries focused on the processing and consumption of white-tailed deer (WTD) venison are particularly vulnerable to CWD prion contamination, as millions of WTD are consumed annually. Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) is a highly sensitive assay amplifying misfolded CWD prions in vitro and has facilitated CWD prion detection in a variety of tissues and excreta. To date, no study has comprehensively examined CWD prion content across bulk skeletal muscle tissues harvested from individual CWD infected WTD. Here, we use RT-QuIC to characterize prion-seeding activity in a variety of skeletal muscles from both wild and farmed CWD-positive WTD. We successfully detected CWD prions in muscles commonly used for consumption (e.g., backstrap, tenderloin, etc.) as well as within tongue and neck samples of WTD. Our results suggest that CWD prions are distributed across the skeletal muscles of infected WTD. We posit that RT-QuIC will be a useful tool for monitoring CWD prions in venison and that the method (with additional protocol optimization and high-throughput functionality) could be used to reduce and/or prevent CWD prions from entering animal and human food chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manci Li
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, 1971 Commonwealth Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Marc D Schwabenlander
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, 1971 Commonwealth Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Gage R Rowden
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, 1971 Commonwealth Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jeremy M Schefers
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterinary Population Medicine Department, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Christopher S Jennelle
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 5463 West Broadway, Forest Lake, MN, 55025, USA
| | - Michelle Carstensen
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 5463 West Broadway, Forest Lake, MN, 55025, USA
| | - Davis Seelig
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Peter A Larsen
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, 1971 Commonwealth Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
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14
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Tewari D, Steward D, Fasnacht M, Livengood J. Detection by real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), ELISA, and IHC of chronic wasting disease prion in lymph nodes from Pennsylvania white-tailed deer with specific PRNP genotypes. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021; 33:943-948. [PMID: 34078193 DOI: 10.1177/10406387211021411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion-mediated, transmissible disease of cervids, including deer (Odocoileus spp.), which is characterized by spongiform encephalopathy and death of the prion-infected animals. Official surveillance in the United States using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ELISA entails the laborious collection of lymphoid and/or brainstem tissue after death. New, highly sensitive prion detection methods, such as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), have shown promise in detecting abnormal prions from both antemortem and postmortem specimens. We compared RT-QuIC with ELISA and IHC for CWD detection utilizing deer retropharyngeal lymph node (RLN) tissues in a diagnostic laboratory setting. The RLNs were collected postmortem from hunter-harvested animals. RT-QuIC showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for 50 deer RLN (35 positive by both IHC and ELISA, 15 negative) included in our study. All deer were also genotyped for PRNP polymorphism. Most deer were homozygous at codons 95, 96, 116, and 226 (QQ/GG/AA/QQ genotype, with frequency 0.86), which are the codons implicated in disease susceptibility. Heterozygosity was noticed in Pennsylvania deer, albeit at a very low frequency, for codons 95GS (0.06) and 96QH (0.08), but deer with these genotypes were still found to be CWD prion-infected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepanker Tewari
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - David Steward
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - Melinda Fasnacht
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - Julia Livengood
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
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15
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Otero A, Duque Velásquez C, Aiken J, McKenzie D. White-tailed deer S96 prion protein does not support stable in vitro propagation of most common CWD strains. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11193. [PMID: 34045540 PMCID: PMC8160261 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90606-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PrPC variation at residue 96 (G/S) plays an important role in the epidemiology of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in exposed white-tailed deer populations. In vivo studies have demonstrated the protective effect of serine at codon 96, which hinders the propagation of common CWD strains when expressed in homozygosis and increases the survival period of S96/wt heterozygous deer after challenge with CWD. Previous in vitro studies of the transmission barrier suggested that following a single amplification step, wt and S96 PrPC were equally susceptible to misfolding when seeded with various CWD prions. When we performed serial prion amplification in vitro using S96-PrPC, we observed a reduction in the efficiency of propagation with the Wisc-1 or CWD2 strains, suggesting these strains cannot stably template their conformations on this PrPC once the primary sequence has changed after the first round of replication. Our data shows the S96-PrPC polymorphism is detrimental to prion conversion of some CWD strains. These data suggests that deer homozygous for S96-PrPC may not sustain prion transmission as compared to a deer expressing G96-PrPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Otero
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Camilo Duque Velásquez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Judd Aiken
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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16
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Edson J, Brown J, Miller WL, Walter WD. Comparison of sample types from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for DNA extraction and analyses. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10003. [PMID: 33976279 PMCID: PMC8113455 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89390-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Collection of biological samples for DNA is necessary in a variety of disciplines including disease epidemiology, landscape genetics, and forensics. Quantity and quality of DNA varies depending on the method of collection or media available for collection (e.g., blood, tissue, fecal). Blood is the most common sample collected in vials or on Whatman Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards with short- and long-term storage providing adequate DNA for study objectives. The focus of this study was to determine if biological samples stored on Whatman FTA Elute cards were a reasonable alternative to traditional DNA sample collection, storage, and extraction. Tissue, nasal swabs, and ocular fluid were collected from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Tissue samples and nasal swabs acted as a control to compare extraction and DNA suitability for microsatellite analysis for nasal swabs and ocular fluid extracted from FTA Elute cards. We determined that FTA Elute cards improved the extraction time and storage of samples and that nasal swabs and ocular fluid containing pigmented fluid were reasonable alternatives to traditional tissue DNA extractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Edson
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, 413 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Justin Brown
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - William L Miller
- Department of Biology, Calvin University, 1726 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49546, USA
| | - W David Walter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, 403 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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17
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Figgie MP, Appleby BS. Clinical Use of Improved Diagnostic Testing for Detection of Prion Disease. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050789. [PMID: 33925126 PMCID: PMC8146465 DOI: 10.3390/v13050789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are difficult to recognize as many symptoms are shared among other neurologic pathologies and the full spectra of symptoms usually do not appear until late in the disease course. Additionally, many commonly used laboratory markers are non-specific to prion disease. The recent introduction of second-generation real time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) has revolutionized pre-mortem diagnosis of prion disease due to its extremely high sensitivity and specificity. However, RT-QuIC does not provide prognostic data and has decreased diagnostic accuracy in some rarer, atypical prion diseases. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the current clinical utility of fluid-based biomarkers, neurodiagnostic testing, and brain imaging in the diagnosis of prion disease and to suggest guidelines for their clinical use, with a focus on rarer prion diseases with atypical features. Recent advancements in laboratory-based testing and imaging criteria have shown improved diagnostic accuracy and prognostic potential in prion disease, but because these diagnostic tests are not sensitive in some prion disease subtypes and diagnostic test sensitivities are unknown in the event that CWD transmits to humans, it is important to continue investigations into the clinical utility of various testing modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P. Figgie
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
| | - Brian S. Appleby
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Correspondence:
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18
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Ferreira NC, Charco JM, Plagenz J, Orru CD, Denkers ND, Metrick MA, Hughson AG, Griffin KA, Race B, Hoover EA, Castilla J, Nichols TA, Miller MW, Caughey B. Detection of chronic wasting disease in mule and white-tailed deer by RT-QuIC analysis of outer ear. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7702. [PMID: 33833330 PMCID: PMC8032746 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87295-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Efforts to contain the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal, contagious prion disease of cervids, would be aided by the availability of additional diagnostic tools. RT-QuIC assays allow ultrasensitive detection of prion seeds in a wide variety of cervid tissues, fluids and excreta. The best documented antemortem diagnostic test involving RT-QuIC analysis targets lymphoid tissue in rectal biopsies. Here we have tested a more easily accessed specimen, ear pinna punches, using an improved RT-QuIC assay involving iron oxide magnetic extraction to detect CWD infections in asymptomatic mule and white-tailed deer. Comparison of multiple parts of the ear pinna indicated that a central punch spanning the auricular nerve provided the most consistent detection of CWD infection. When compared to results obtained from gold-standard retropharyngeal lymph node specimens, our RT-QuIC analyses of ear samples provided apparent diagnostic sensitivity (81%) and specificity (91%) that rivaled, or improved upon, those observed in previous analyses of rectal biopsies using RT-QuIC. These results provide evidence that RT-QuIC analysis of ear pinna punches may be a useful approach to detecting CWD infections in cervids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia C Ferreira
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Jorge M Charco
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | - Jakob Plagenz
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Christina D Orru
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Nathanial D Denkers
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Michael A Metrick
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Andrew G Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Karen A Griffin
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Wildlife Health Program, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Brent Race
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Edward A Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | | | - Michael W Miller
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Wildlife Health Program, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA.
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19
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Arifin MI, Hannaoui S, Chang SC, Thapa S, Schatzl HM, Gilch S. Cervid Prion Protein Polymorphisms: Role in Chronic Wasting Disease Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052271. [PMID: 33668798 PMCID: PMC7956812 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease found in both free-ranging and farmed cervids. Susceptibility of these animals to CWD is governed by various exogenous and endogenous factors. Past studies have demonstrated that polymorphisms within the prion protein (PrP) sequence itself affect an animal's susceptibility to CWD. PrP polymorphisms can modulate CWD pathogenesis in two ways: the ability of the endogenous prion protein (PrPC) to convert into infectious prions (PrPSc) or it can give rise to novel prion strains. In vivo studies in susceptible cervids, complemented by studies in transgenic mice expressing the corresponding cervid PrP sequence, show that each polymorphism has distinct effects on both PrPC and PrPSc. It is not entirely clear how these polymorphisms are responsible for these effects, but in vitro studies suggest they play a role in modifying PrP epitopes crucial for PrPC to PrPSc conversion and determining PrPC stability. PrP polymorphisms are unique to one or two cervid species and most confer a certain degree of reduced susceptibility to CWD. However, to date, there are no reports of polymorphic cervid PrP alleles providing absolute resistance to CWD. Studies on polymorphisms have focused on those found in CWD-endemic areas, with the hope that understanding the role of an animal's genetics in CWD can help to predict, contain, or prevent transmission of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Immaculata Arifin
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Samia Hannaoui
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Sheng Chun Chang
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Simrika Thapa
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Hermann M. Schatzl
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Correspondence:
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20
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Escobar LE, Pritzkow S, Winter SN, Grear DA, Kirchgessner MS, Dominguez-Villegas E, Machado G, Peterson AT, Soto C. The ecology of chronic wasting disease in wildlife. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:393-408. [PMID: 31750623 PMCID: PMC7085120 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prions are misfolded infectious proteins responsible for a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases termed transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion diseases. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is the prion disease with the highest spillover potential, affecting at least seven Cervidae (deer) species. The zoonotic potential of CWD is inconclusive and cannot be ruled out. A risk of infection for other domestic and wildlife species is also plausible. Here, we review the current status of the knowledge with respect to CWD ecology in wildlife. Our current understanding of the geographic distribution of CWD lacks spatial and temporal detail, does not consider the biogeography of infectious diseases, and is largely biased by sampling based on hunters' cooperation and funding available for each region. Limitations of the methods used for data collection suggest that the extent and prevalence of CWD in wildlife is underestimated. If the zoonotic potential of CWD is confirmed in the short term, as suggested by recent results obtained in experimental animal models, there will be limited accurate epidemiological data to inform public health. Research gaps in CWD prion ecology include the need to identify specific biological characteristics of potential CWD reservoir species that better explain susceptibility to spillover, landscape and climate configurations that are suitable for CWD transmission, and the magnitude of sampling bias in our current understanding of CWD distribution and risk. Addressing these research gaps will help anticipate novel areas and species where CWD spillover is expected, which will inform control strategies. From an ecological perspective, control strategies could include assessing restoration of natural predators of CWD reservoirs, ultrasensitive CWD detection in biotic and abiotic reservoirs, and deer density and landscape modification to reduce CWD spread and prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
| | - Steven N. Winter
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Daniel A. Grear
- US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, 59711, U.S.A
| | | | | | - Gustavo Machado
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, U.S.A
| | - A. Townsend Peterson
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, U.S.A
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
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21
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Detection of Pathognomonic Biomarker PrP Sc and the Contribution of Cell Free-Amplification Techniques to the Diagnosis of Prion Diseases. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10030469. [PMID: 32204429 PMCID: PMC7175149 DOI: 10.3390/biom10030469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases are rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases, the clinical manifestation of which can resemble other promptly evolving neurological maladies. Therefore, the unequivocal ante-mortem diagnosis is highly challenging and was only possible by histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of the brain at necropsy. Although surrogate biomarkers of neurological damage have become invaluable to complement clinical data and provide more accurate diagnostics at early stages, other neurodegenerative diseases show similar alterations hindering the differential diagnosis. To solve that, the detection of the pathognomonic biomarker of disease, PrPSc, the aberrantly folded isoform of the prion protein, could be used. However, the amounts in easily accessible tissues or body fluids at pre-clinical or early clinical stages are extremely low for the standard detection methods. The solution comes from the recent development of in vitro prion propagation techniques, such as Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and Real Time-Quaking Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), which have been already applied to detect minute amounts of PrPSc in different matrixes and make early diagnosis of prion diseases feasible in a near future. Herein, the most relevant tissues and body fluids in which PrPSc has been detected in animals and humans are being reviewed, especially those in which cell-free prion propagation systems have been used with diagnostic purposes.
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22
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Henderson DM, Denkers ND, Hoover CE, McNulty EE, Cooper SK, Bracchi LA, Mathiason CK, Hoover EA. Progression of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer analyzed by serial biopsy RT-QuIC and immunohistochemistry. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228327. [PMID: 32059005 PMCID: PMC7021286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) continues to spread or be recognized in the United States, Canada, and Europe. CWD is diagnosed by demonstration of the causative misfolded prion protein (PrPCWD) in either brain or lymphoid tissue using immunodetection methods, with immunohistochemistry (IHC) recognized as the gold standard. In recent years, in vitro amplification assays have been developed that can detect CWD prion seeding activity in tissues, excreta, and body fluids of affected cervids. These methods potentially offer earlier and more facile detection of CWD, both pre- and post-mortem. Here we provide a longitudinal profile of CWD infection progression, as assessed by both real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and IHC on serial biopsies of mucosal lymphoid tissues of white-tailed deer orally exposed to low doses of CWD prions. We report that detection of CWD infection by RT-QuIC preceded that by IHC in both tonsil and recto-anal lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) in 14 of 19 deer (74%). Of the 322 biopsy samples collected in post-exposure longitudinal monitoring, positive RT-QuIC results were obtained for 146 samples, 91 of which (62%) were concurrently also IHC-positive. The lower frequency of IHC positivity was manifest most in the earlier post-exposure periods and in biopsies in which lymphoid follicles were not detected. For all deer in which RT-QuIC seeding activity was detected in a tonsil or RAMALT biopsy, PrPCWD was subsequently or concurrently detected by IHC. Overall, this study (a) provides a longitudinal profile of CWD infection in deer after low yet infectious oral prion exposure; (b) illustrates the value of RT-QuIC for sensitive detection of CWD; and (c) demonstrates an ultimate high degree of correlation between RT-QuIC and IHC positivity as CWD infection progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davin M Henderson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United states of America
| | - Nathaniel D Denkers
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United states of America
| | - Clare E Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United states of America
| | - Erin E McNulty
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United states of America
| | - Sarah K Cooper
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United states of America
| | - Lauren A Bracchi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United states of America
| | - Candace K Mathiason
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United states of America
| | - Edward A Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United states of America
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23
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Haley N, Henderson D, Donner R, Wyckoff S, Merrett K, Tennant J, Hoover E, Love D, Kline E, Lehmkuhl A, Thomsen B. Management of chronic wasting disease in ranched elk: conclusions from a longitudinal three-year study. Prion 2020; 14:76-87. [PMID: 32033521 PMCID: PMC7009334 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1724754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal, horizontally transmissible prion disease of cervid species that has been reported in free-ranging and farmed animals in North America, Scandinavia, and Korea. Like other prion diseases, CWD susceptibility is partly dependent on the sequence of the prion protein encoded by the host's PRNP gene; it is unknown if variations in PRNP have any meaningful effects on other aspects of health. Conventional diagnosis of CWD relies on ELISA or IHC testing of samples collected post-mortem, with recent efforts focused on antemortem testing approaches. We report on the conclusions of a study evaluating the role of antemortem testing of rectal biopsies collected from over 570 elk in a privately managed herd, and the results of both an amplification assay (RT-QuIC) and conventional IHC among animals with a several PRNP genotypes. Links between PRNP genotype and potential markers of evolutionary fitness, including pregnancy rates, body condition, and annual return rates were also examined. We found that the RT-QuIC assay identified significantly more CWD positive animals than conventional IHC across the course of the study, and was less affected by factors known to influence IHC sensitivity - including follicle count and PRNP genotype. We also found that several evolutionary markers of fitness were not adversely correlated with specific PRNP genotypes. While the financial burden of the disease in this herd was ultimately unsustainable for the herd owners, our scientific findings and the hurdles encountered will assist future CWD management strategies in both wild and farmed elk and deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- N.J. Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA,CONTACT N.J. Haley Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - D.M. Henderson
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - R. Donner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - S. Wyckoff
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - K. Merrett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - J Tennant
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - E.A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - D. Love
- Colorado Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division, Broomfield, CO, USA
| | - E. Kline
- Colorado Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division, Broomfield, CO, USA
| | - A.D. Lehmkuhl
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, Ames, IA, USA
| | - B.V. Thomsen
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, Ames, IA, USA,Center for Veterinary Biologics, United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, Ames, IA, USA
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24
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Haley N, Donner R, Henderson D, Tennant J, Hoover E, Manca M, Caughey B, Kondru N, Manne S, Kanthasamay A, Hannaoui S, Chang S, Gilch S, Smiley S, Mitchell G, Lehmkuhl A, Thomsen B. Cross-validation of the RT-QuIC assay for the antemortem detection of chronic wasting disease in elk. Prion 2020; 14:47-55. [PMID: 31973662 PMCID: PMC6984646 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1716657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease is a progressively fatal, horizontally transmissible prion disease affecting several members of the cervid species. Conventional diagnosis relies on ELISA or IHC evaluation using tissues collected post-mortem; however, recent research has focused on newly developed amplification techniques using samples collected antemortem. The present study sought to cross-validate the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC) evaluation of rectal biopsies collected from an elk herd with endemic CWD, assessing both binary positive/negative test results as well as relative rates of amplification between laboratories. We found that results were correlative in both categories across all laboratories performing RT-QuIC, as well as to conventional IHC performed at a national reference laboratory. A significantly higher number of positive samples were identified using RT-QuIC, with results seemingly unhindered by low follicle counts. These findings support the continued development and implementation of amplification assays in the diagnosis of prion diseases of veterinary importance, targeting not just antemortem sampling strategies, but post-mortem testing approaches as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- N.J. Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA,CONTACT N.J. Haley Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - R. Donner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - D.M. Henderson
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - J. Tennant
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - E.A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - M. Manca
- TSE/Prion Biochemistry Section, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - B. Caughey
- TSE/Prion Biochemistry Section, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - N. Kondru
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - S. Manne
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - A. Kanthasamay
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - S. Hannaoui
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S.C. Chang
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S. Gilch
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S. Smiley
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection, Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - G. Mitchell
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection, Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - A.D. Lehmkuhl
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, USA
| | - B.V. Thomsen
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, USA,United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, Center for Veterinary Biologics, Ames, IA, USA
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25
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Bistaffa E, Vuong TT, Cazzaniga FA, Tran L, Salzano G, Legname G, Giaccone G, Benestad SL, Moda F. Use of different RT-QuIC substrates for detecting CWD prions in the brain of Norwegian cervids. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18595. [PMID: 31819115 PMCID: PMC6901582 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55078-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a highly contagious prion disease affecting captive and free-ranging cervid populations. CWD has been detected in United States, Canada, South Korea and, most recently, in Europe (Norway, Finland and Sweden). Animals with CWD release infectious prions in the environment through saliva, urine and feces sustaining disease spreading between cervids but also potentially to other non-cervids ruminants (e.g. sheep, goats and cattle). In the light of these considerations and due to CWD unknown zoonotic potential, it is of utmost importance to follow specific surveillance programs useful to minimize disease spreading and transmission. The European community has already in place specific surveillance measures, but the traditional diagnostic tests performed on nervous or lymphoid tissues lack sensitivity. We have optimized a Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) assay for detecting CWD prions with high sensitivity and specificity to try to overcome this problem. In this work, we show that bank vole prion protein (PrP) is an excellent substrate for RT-QuIC reactions, enabling the detection of trace-amounts of CWD prions, regardless of prion strain and cervid species. Beside supporting the traditional diagnostic tests, this technology could be exploited for detecting prions in peripheral tissues from live animals, possibly even at preclinical stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Bistaffa
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Federico Angelo Cazzaniga
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy
| | - Linh Tran
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | - Giulia Salzano
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giaccone
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Moda
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy.
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26
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Haley NJ, Merrett K, Buros Stein A, Simpson D, Carlson A, Mitchell G, Staskevicius A, Nichols T, Lehmkuhl AD, Thomsen BV. Estimating relative CWD susceptibility and disease progression in farmed white-tailed deer with rare PRNP alleles. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224342. [PMID: 31790424 PMCID: PMC6886763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease is a prion disease affecting both free-ranging and farmed cervids in North America and Scandinavia. A range of cervid species have been found to be susceptible, each with variations in the gene for the normal prion protein, PRNP, reportedly influencing both disease susceptibility and progression in the respective hosts. Despite the finding of several different PRNP alleles in white-tailed deer, the majority of past research has focused on two of the more common alleles identified-the 96G and 96S alleles. In the present study, we evaluate both infection status and disease stage in nearly 2100 farmed deer depopulated in the United States and Canada, including 714 CWD-positive deer and correlate our findings with PRNP genotype, including the more rare 95H, 116G, and 226K alleles. We found significant differences in either likelihood of being found infected or disease stage (and in many cases both) at the time of depopulation in all genotypes present, relative to the most common 96GG genotype. Despite high prevalence in many of the herds examined, infection was not found in several of the reported genotypes. These findings suggest that additional research is necessary to more properly define the role that these genotypes may play in managing CWD in both farmed and free-ranging white-tailed deer, with consideration for factors including relative fitness levels, incubation periods, and the kinetics of shedding in animals with these rare genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Kahla Merrett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Amy Buros Stein
- Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Dennis Simpson
- Simpson Whitetails Genetic Testing, Belleville, Michigan
| | - Andrew Carlson
- Simpson Whitetails Genetic Testing, Belleville, Michigan
| | - Gordon Mitchell
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Antanas Staskevicius
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tracy Nichols
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Cervid Health Program, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Aaron D. Lehmkuhl
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Bruce V. Thomsen
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Center for Veterinary Biologics, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
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27
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Gavin C, Henderson D, Benestad SL, Simmons M, Adkin A. Estimating the amount of Chronic Wasting Disease infectivity passing through abattoirs and field slaughter. Prev Vet Med 2019; 166:28-38. [PMID: 30935503 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a highly infectious, naturally occurring, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE, or prion disease) affecting many cervid species. CWD has been widely circulating in North America since it was first reported in 1967. In 2016, the first European case of prion disease in deer was reported and confirmed in Norway. There have since been several confirmed several cases in reindeer and moose and in one red deer in Norway, and recently in a moose in Finland. There is concern over the susceptibility of certain species, especially domestic livestock, to CWD. Recently, a study was presented showing transmission to cynomolgus macaques. Although preliminary, these results raise concerns that CWD may be transmissible to humans. This quantitative risk assessment estimates, by stochastic simulation, the titre of infectivity (herein referred to as "infectivity"), that would pass into the human food chain and environment (in the UK) as a result of a single CWD positive red deer passing through an abattoir, or being field dressed. The model estimated that around 11,000 mouse i.c. log ID50 units would enter the human food chain through the farmed route or wild route. The model estimated that there are around 83,000 mouse i.c. log ID50 units in a deer carcase, compared to around 22,000 in a sheep carcase infected with scrapie, mainly due to the size difference between a red deer and a sheep. For farmed deer, the model estimated that 87% of total carcase infectivity would become animal by-product category 3 material, with only 13% going to the food chain and a small amount to wastewater via the abattoir floor. For wild deer, the model estimated that on average, 85% of total carcase infectivity would be buried in the environment, with 13% going to the food chain and 2% to category 3 material which may be used as a protein source in other industries. Results indicate that if CWD was found in the UK there would be a risk of prions entering the human food chain and the environment. However, it is unclear if humans would be susceptible to CWD following consumption of contaminated meat, or what the environmental impact would be. This risk assessment highlights the need for further research in order to quantify the infectivity in all tissue types, in particular blood, gastrointestinal (GI) tract and skeletal muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Gavin
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal & Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Weybridge, KT15 3NB, United Kingdom.
| | - Davin Henderson
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Sylvie L Benestad
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, 0106 Oslo, Norway
| | - Marion Simmons
- Department of Pathology, Animal & Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Weybridge, KT15 3NB, United Kingdom
| | - Amie Adkin
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal & Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Weybridge, KT15 3NB, United Kingdom
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28
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Early preclinical detection of prions in the skin of prion-infected animals. Nat Commun 2019; 10:247. [PMID: 30651538 PMCID: PMC6335425 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08130-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A definitive pre-mortem diagnosis of prion disease depends on brain biopsy for prion detection currently and no validated alternative preclinical diagnostic tests have been reported to date. To determine the feasibility of using skin for preclinical diagnosis, here we report ultrasensitive serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) and real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assays of skin samples from hamsters and humanized transgenic mice (Tg40h) at different time points after intracerebral inoculation with 263K and sCJDMM1 prions, respectively. sPMCA detects skin PrPSc as early as 2 weeks post inoculation (wpi) in hamsters and 4 wpi in Tg40h mice; RT-QuIC assay reveals earliest skin prion-seeding activity at 3 wpi in hamsters and 20 wpi in Tg40h mice. Unlike 263K-inoculated animals, mock-inoculated animals show detectable skin/brain PrPSc only after long cohabitation periods with scrapie-infected animals. Our study provides the proof-of-concept evidence that skin prions could be a biomarker for preclinical diagnosis of prion disease. There are currently no validated methods for the diagnosis of prion disease at the preclinical stage. Here the authors show that serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification and real-time quaking-induced conversion can be used to detect prions in the skin of prion-inoculated hamsters and humanized transgenic mice at early preclinical stages.
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29
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Ellis CK, Volker SF, Griffin DL, VerCauteren KC, Nichols TA. Use of faecal volatile organic compound analysis for ante-mortem discrimination between CWD-positive, -negative exposed, and -known negative white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Prion 2019; 13:94-105. [PMID: 31032718 PMCID: PMC7000150 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2019.1607462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a naturally occurring infectious, fatal, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids. Currently, disease confirmation relies on post-mortem detection of infectious prions in the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes or obex in the brain via immunohistochemistry (IHC). Detection of CWD in living animals using this method is impractical, and IHC and other experimental assays are not reliable in detecting low concentrations of prion present in biofluids or faeces. Here, we evaluate the capability of faecal volatile organic compound analysis to discriminate between CWD-positive and -exposed white-tailed deer located at two positive cervid farms, and two groups of CWD-negative deer from two separate disease-free farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine K. Ellis
- Feral Swine Project, USDA-APHIS-WS-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Steven F. Volker
- Analytical Chemistry Department, USDA-APHIS-WS-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Doreen L. Griffin
- BioLaboratories, USDA-APHIS-WS-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Kurt C. VerCauteren
- Feral Swine Project, USDA-APHIS-WS-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Paciotti S, Bellomo G, Gatticchi L, Parnetti L. Are We Ready for Detecting α-Synuclein Prone to Aggregation in Patients? The Case of "Protein-Misfolding Cyclic Amplification" and "Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion" as Diagnostic Tools. Front Neurol 2018; 9:415. [PMID: 29928254 PMCID: PMC5997809 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation and deposition of α-synuclein aggregates in brain tissue is the main event in the pathogenesis of different neurodegenerative disorders grouped under the term of synucleinopathies. They include Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy. To date, the diagnosis of any of these disorders mainly relies on the recognition of clinical symptoms, when the neurodegeneration is already in an advanced phase. In the last years, several efforts have been carried out to develop new diagnostic tools for early diagnosis of synucleinopathies, with special interest to Parkinson's disease. The Protein-Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and the Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) are ultrasensitive protein amplification assays for the detection of misfolded protein aggregates. Starting from the successful application in the diagnosis of human prion diseases, these techniques were recently tested for the detection of misfolded α-synuclein in brain homogenates and cerebrospinal fluid samples of patients affected by synucleinopathies. So far, only a few studies on a limited number of samples have been performed to test PMCA and RT-QuIC diagnostic reliability. Neverthless, these assays have shown very high sensitivity and specificity in detecting synucleinopathies even at the pre-clinical stage. Despite the application of PMCA and RT-QuIC for α-synuclein detection in biological fluids is very recent, these techniques seem to have the potential for identifying subjects that will be likely to develop synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Paciotti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Bellomo
- Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Leonardo Gatticchi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lucilla Parnetti
- Laboratory of Clinical Neurochemistry, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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Haley NJ, Richt JA, Davenport KA, Henderson DM, Hoover EA, Manca M, Caughey B, Marthaler D, Bartz J, Gilch S. Design, implementation, and interpretation of amplification studies for prion detection. Prion 2018; 12:73-82. [PMID: 29468946 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2018.1443000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Amplification assays for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies have been in development for close to 15 years, with critical implications for the postmortem and antemortem diagnosis of human and animal prion diseases. Little has been published regarding the structured development, implementation and interpretation of experiments making use of protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) and real time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), and our goal with this Perspectives manuscript is to offer a framework which might allow for more efficient expansion of pilot studies into diagnostic trials in both human and animal subjects. This framework is made up of approaches common to diagnostic medicine, including a thorough understanding of analytical and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, an a priori development of amplification strategy, and an effective experimental design. It is our hope that a structured framework for prion amplification assays will benefit not only experiments seeking to sensitively detect naturally-occurring cases of prion diseases and describe the pathogenesis of TSEs, but ultimately assist with future endeavors seeking to use these methods more broadly for other protein misfolding disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Haley
- a Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Midwestern University , Glendale , AZ , USA
| | - Jürgen A Richt
- b College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU) , Manhattan , KS , USA
| | - Kristen A Davenport
- c Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Davin M Henderson
- c Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Edward A Hoover
- c Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Matteo Manca
- d Department of Medicine , Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus , London , UK
| | - Byron Caughey
- e TSE/Prion Biochemistry Section, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease , Hamilton , MT , USA
| | - Douglas Marthaler
- b College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU) , Manhattan , KS , USA
| | - Jason Bartz
- f Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology , Creighton University , Omaha , NE , USA
| | - Sabine Gilch
- g Department of Ecosystem and Public Health , Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada
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Moore SJ, Vrentas CE, Hwang S, West Greenlee MH, Nicholson EM, Greenlee JJ. Pathologic and biochemical characterization of PrP Sc from elk with PRNP polymorphisms at codon 132 after experimental infection with the chronic wasting disease agent. BMC Vet Res 2018. [PMID: 29523205 PMCID: PMC5845354 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-018-1400-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) prion protein gene (PRNP) is polymorphic at codon 132, with leucine (L132) and methionine (M132) allelic variants present in the population. In elk experimentally inoculated with the chronic wasting disease (CWD) agent, different incubation periods are associated with PRNP genotype: LL132 elk survive the longest, LM132 elk are intermediate, and MM132 elk the shortest. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential mechanisms underlying variations in incubation period in elk of different prion protein genotypes. Elk calves of three PRNP genotypes (n = 2 MM132, n = 2 LM132, n = 4 LL132) were orally inoculated with brain homogenate from elk clinically affected with CWD. RESULTS Elk with longer incubation periods accumulated relatively less PrPSc in the brain than elk with shorter incubation periods. PrPSc accumulation in LM132 and MM132 elk was primarily neuropil-associated while glial-associated immunoreactivity was prominent in LL132 elk. The fibril stability of PrPSc from MM132 and LM132 elk were similar to each other and less stable than that from LL132 elk. Real-time quaking induced conversion assays (RT-QuIC) revealed differences in the ability of PrPSc seed from elk of different genotypes to convert recombinant 132 M or 132 L substrate. CONCLUSIONS This study provides further evidence of the importance of PRNP genotype in the pathogenesis of CWD of elk. The longer incubation periods observed in LL132 elk are associated with PrPSc that is more stable and relatively less abundant at the time of clinical disease. The biochemical properties of PrPSc from MM132 and LM132 elk are similar to each other and different to PrPSc from LL132 elk. The shorter incubation periods in MM132 compared to LM132 elk may be the result of genotype-dependent differences in the efficiency of propagation of PrPSc moieties present in the inoculum. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which the polymorphisms at codon 132 in elk PRNP influence disease pathogenesis will help to improve control of CWD in captive and free-ranging elk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Jo Moore
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, USA
| | - Catherine E Vrentas
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, USA
| | - Soyoun Hwang
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, USA
| | - M Heather West Greenlee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, USA
| | - Eric M Nicholson
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, USA
| | - Justin J Greenlee
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, USA.
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Haley NJ, Henderson DM, Wycoff S, Tennant J, Hoover EA, Love D, Kline E, Lehmkuhl A, Thomsen B. Chronic wasting disease management in ranched elk using rectal biopsy testing. Prion 2018; 12:93-108. [PMID: 29424295 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2018.1436925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting members of the cervid species, and is one of the few TSEs with an expanding geographic range. Diagnostic limitations, efficient transmission, and the movement of infected animals are important contributing factors in the ongoing spread of disease. Managing CWD in affected populations has proven difficult, relying on population reduction in the case of wild deer and elk, or quarantine and depopulation in farmed cervids. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of managing endemic CWD in a closed elk herd using antemortem sampling combined with both conventional and experimental diagnostic testing, and selective, targeted culling of infected animals. We hypothesized that the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, a developing amplification assay, would offer greater detection capabilities over immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the identification of infected animals using recto-anal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT). We further sought to develop a better understanding of CWD epidemiology in elk with various PRNP alleles, and predicted that CWD prevalence would decrease with targeted culling. We found that RT-QuIC identified significantly more CWD-positive animals than IHC using RAMALT tissues (121 vs. 86, respectively, out of 553 unique animals), and that longstanding disease presence was associated with an increasing frequency of less susceptible PRNP alleles. Prevalence of CWD increased significantly over the first two years of the study, implying that refinements in our management strategy are necessary to reduce the prevalence of CWD in this herd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Haley
- a Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Midwestern University , Glendale , AZ , USA
| | - Davin M Henderson
- b Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Sarah Wycoff
- a Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Midwestern University , Glendale , AZ , USA
| | - Joanne Tennant
- b Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Edward A Hoover
- b Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Dan Love
- c Colorado Department of Agriculture , Animal Health Division , Broomfield , CO , USA
| | - Ed Kline
- c Colorado Department of Agriculture , Animal Health Division , Broomfield , CO , USA
| | - Aaron Lehmkuhl
- d United States Department of Agriculture , APHIS, VS, National Veterinary Services Laboratory , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Bruce Thomsen
- e United States Department of Agriculture , APHIS, VS, Center for Veterinary Biologics , Ames , IA , USA
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Ricci A, Allende A, Bolton D, Chemaly M, Davies R, Fernández Escámez PS, Gironés R, Herman L, Koutsoumanis K, Lindqvist R, Nørrung B, Robertson L, Ru G, Sanaa M, Skandamis P, Snary E, Speybroeck N, Kuile BT, Threlfall J, Wahlström H, Benestad S, Gavier-Widen D, Miller MW, Telling GC, Tryland M, Latronico F, Ortiz-Pelaez A, Stella P, Simmons M. Scientific opinion on chronic wasting disease (II). EFSA J 2018; 16:e05132. [PMID: 32625679 PMCID: PMC7328883 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The European Commission asked EFSA for a scientific opinion on chronic wasting disease in two parts. Part one, on surveillance, animal health risk-based measures and public health risks, was published in January 2017. This opinion (part two) addresses the remaining Terms of Reference, namely, 'are the conclusions and recommendations in the EFSA opinion of June 2004 on diagnostic methods for chronic wasting disease still valid? If not, an update should be provided', and 'update the conclusions of the 2010 EFSA opinion on the results of the European Union survey on chronic wasting disease in cervids, as regards its occurrence in the cervid population in the European Union'. Data on the performance of authorised rapid tests in North America are not comprehensive, and are more limited than those available for the tests approved for statutory transmissible spongiform encephalopathies surveillance applications in cattle and sheep. There are no data directly comparing available rapid test performances in cervids. The experience in Norway shows that the Bio-Rad TeSeE™ SAP test, immunohistochemistry and western blotting have detected reindeer, moose and red deer cases. It was shown that testing both brainstem and lymphoid tissue from each animal increases the surveillance sensitivity. Shortcomings in the previous EU survey limited the reliability of inferences that could be made about the potential disease occurrence in Europe. Subsequently, testing activity in Europe was low, until the detection of the disease in Norway, triggering substantial testing efforts in that country. Available data neither support nor refute the conclusion that chronic wasting disease does not occur widely in the EU and do not preclude the possibility that the disease was present in Europe before the survey was conducted. It appears plausible that chronic wasting disease could have become established in Norway more than a decade ago.
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Charco JM, Eraña H, Venegas V, García-Martínez S, López-Moreno R, González-Miranda E, Pérez-Castro MÁ, Castilla J. Recombinant PrP and Its Contribution to Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. Pathogens 2017; 6:E67. [PMID: 29240682 PMCID: PMC5750591 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens6040067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the disease-associated isoform (PrPSc) and its accumulation as amyloid fibrils in the central nervous system is one of the central events in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Due to the proteinaceous nature of the causal agent the molecular mechanisms of misfolding, interspecies transmission, neurotoxicity and strain phenomenon remain mostly ill-defined or unknown. Significant advances were made using in vivo and in cellula models, but the limitations of these, primarily due to their inherent complexity and the small amounts of PrPSc that can be obtained, gave rise to the necessity of new model systems. The production of recombinant PrP using E. coli and subsequent induction of misfolding to the aberrant isoform using different techniques paved the way for the development of cell-free systems that complement the previous models. The generation of the first infectious recombinant prion proteins with identical properties of brain-derived PrPSc increased the value of cell-free systems for research on TSEs. The versatility and ease of implementation of these models have made them invaluable for the study of the molecular mechanisms of prion formation and propagation, and have enabled improvements in diagnosis, high-throughput screening of putative anti-prion compounds and the design of novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we provide an overview of the resultant advances in the prion field due to the development of recombinant PrP and its use in cell-free systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge M. Charco
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Hasier Eraña
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Vanessa Venegas
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Sandra García-Martínez
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Rafael López-Moreno
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Ezequiel González-Miranda
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Miguel Ángel Pérez-Castro
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain
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Kramm C, Pritzkow S, Lyon A, Nichols T, Morales R, Soto C. Detection of Prions in Blood of Cervids at the Asymptomatic Stage of Chronic Wasting Disease. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17241. [PMID: 29222449 PMCID: PMC5722867 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17090-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a rapidly spreading prion disorder affecting captive and free-ranging cervids. The zoonotic potential of CWD is unknown, as well as the mechanism for its highly efficient transmission. A top priority to minimize further spreading of this disease and its potential impact on environmental prion contamination is the development of a non-invasive, sensitive, and specific test for ante-mortem detection of infected animals. Here, we optimized the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assay for highly efficient detection of CWD prions in blood samples. Studies were done using a blind panel of 98 field-collected samples of whole blood from codon 96 glycine/glycine, captive white-tailed deer that were analyzed for prion infection post-mortem by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The results showed a sensitivity of 100% in animals with very poor body condition that were IHC-positive in both brain and lymph nodes, 96% in asymptomatic deer IHC-positive in brain and lymph nodes and 53% in animals at early stages of infection that were IHC-positive only in lymph nodes. The overall mean diagnostic sensitivity was 79.3% with 100% specificity. These findings show that PMCA might be useful as a blood test for routine, live animal diagnosis of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Kramm
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's disease and Related Brain Disorders, Dept. of Neurology, McGovern School of Medicine University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Medicina, Av. San Carlos de Apoquindo, 2200, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's disease and Related Brain Disorders, Dept. of Neurology, McGovern School of Medicine University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Adam Lyon
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's disease and Related Brain Disorders, Dept. of Neurology, McGovern School of Medicine University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tracy Nichols
- Veterinary Services Cervid Health Program, APHIS, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's disease and Related Brain Disorders, Dept. of Neurology, McGovern School of Medicine University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's disease and Related Brain Disorders, Dept. of Neurology, McGovern School of Medicine University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Medicina, Av. San Carlos de Apoquindo, 2200, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile.
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37
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Haley NJ, Rielinger R, Davenport KA, O'Rourke K, Mitchell G, Richt JA. Estimating chronic wasting disease susceptibility in cervids using real-time quaking-induced conversion. J Gen Virol 2017; 98:2882-2892. [PMID: 29058651 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, susceptibility to prion infection is primarily modulated by the host's cellular prion protein (PrPC) sequence. In the sheep scrapie model, a graded scale of susceptibility has been established both in vivo and in vitro based on PrPC amino acids 136, 154 and 171, leading to global breeding programmes to reduce the prevalence of scrapie in sheep. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) resistance in cervids is often characterized as decreased prevalence and/or protracted disease progression in individuals with specific alleles; at present, no PrPC allele conferring absolute resistance in cervids has been identified. To model the susceptibility of various naturally occurring and hypothetical cervid PrPC alleles in vitro, we compared the amplification rates and amyloid extension efficiencies of eight distinct CWD isolates in recombinant cervid PrPC substrates using real-time quaking-induced conversion. We hypothesized that the in vitro conversion characteristics of these isolates in cervid substrates would correlate to in vivo susceptibility - permitting susceptibility prediction for the rare alleles found in nature. We also predicted that hypothetical alleles with multiple resistance-associated codons would be more resistant to in vitro conversion than natural alleles with a single resistant codon. Our studies demonstrate that in vitro conversion metrics align with in vivo susceptibility, and that alleles with multiple amino acid substitutions, each influencing resistance independently, do not necessarily contribute additively to conversion resistance. Importantly, we found that the naturally occurring whitetail deer QGAK substrate exhibited the slowest amplification rate among those evaluated, suggesting that further investigation of this allele and its resistance in vivo is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Rachel Rielinger
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU), Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Kristen A Davenport
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Katherine O'Rourke
- US Department of Agriculture, Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Gordon Mitchell
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Ottawa Laboratory Fallowfield, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jürgen A Richt
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU), Manhattan, KS, USA
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38
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Haley NJ, Richt JA. Evolution of Diagnostic Tests for Chronic Wasting Disease, a Naturally Occurring Prion Disease of Cervids. Pathogens 2017; 6:pathogens6030035. [PMID: 28783058 PMCID: PMC5617992 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens6030035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Since chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first identified nearly 50 years ago in a captive mule deer herd in the Rocky Mountains of the United States, it has slowly spread across North America through the natural and anthropogenic movement of cervids and their carcasses. As the endemic areas have expanded, so has the need for rapid, sensitive, and cost effective diagnostic tests—especially those which take advantage of samples collected antemortem. Over the past two decades, strategies have evolved from the recognition of microscopic spongiform pathology and associated immunohistochemical staining of the misfolded prion protein to enzyme-linked immunoassays capable of detecting the abnormal prion conformer in postmortem samples. In a history that parallels the diagnosis of more conventional infectious agents, both qualitative and real-time amplification assays have recently been developed to detect minute quantities of misfolded prions in a range of biological and environmental samples. With these more sensitive and semi-quantitative approaches has come a greater understanding of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of this disease in the native host. Because the molecular pathogenesis of prion protein misfolding is broadly analogous to the misfolding of other pathogenic proteins, including Aβ and α-synuclein, efforts are currently underway to apply these in vitro amplification techniques towards the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other proteinopathies. Chronic wasting disease—once a rare disease of Colorado mule deer—now represents one of the most prevalent prion diseases, and should serve as a model for the continued development and implementation of novel diagnostic strategies for protein misfolding disorders in the natural host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA.
| | - Jürgen A Richt
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU), Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
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39
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Caughey B, Orru CD, Groveman BR, Hughson AG, Manca M, Raymond LD, Raymond GJ, Race B, Saijo E, Kraus A. Amplified Detection of Prions and Other Amyloids by RT-QuIC in Diagnostics and the Evaluation of Therapeutics and Disinfectants. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:375-388. [PMID: 28838670 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Among the most sensitive, specific and practical of methods for detecting prions are the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assays. These assays exploit the fundamental self-propagating activity of prions to amplify the presence of prion seeds by as much as a trillion-fold. The reactions can detect most of the known mammalian prion diseases, often with sensitivities greater than those of animal bioassays. RT-QuIC assays are performed in multiwell plates with fluorescence detection and have now reached the sensitivity and practicality required for routine prion disease diagnostics. Some key strains of prions within particular host species, e.g., humans, cattle, and sheep, can be discriminated by comparison of RT-QuIC responses with different recombinant prion protein substrates. The most thoroughly validated diagnostic application of RT-QuIC is in the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) using cerebrospinal fluid. Diagnostic sensitivities as high as 96% can be achieved in less than 24h with specificities of 98%-100%. The ability, if needed, to also test nasal swab samples can increase the RT-QuIC sensitivity for sCJD to virtually 100%. In addition to diagnostic applications, RT-QuIC has also been used in the testing of prion disinfectants and potential therapeutics. Mechanistically related assays are also now being developed for other protein misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States.
| | - Christina D Orru
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Bradley R Groveman
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Andrew G Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Matteo Manca
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Lynne D Raymond
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Gregory J Raymond
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Brent Race
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Eri Saijo
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Allison Kraus
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
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Henderson DM, Tennant JM, Haley NJ, Denkers ND, Mathiason CK, Hoover EA. Detection of chronic wasting disease prion seeding activity in deer and elk feces by real-time quaking-induced conversion. J Gen Virol 2017; 98:1953-1962. [PMID: 28703697 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emergent prion disease affecting cervid species in North America, Canada, South Korea, and recently, Norway. Detection of CWD has been advanced by techniques that rely on amplification of low levels of prion amyloid to a detectable level. However, the increased sensitivity of amplification assays is often compromised by inhibitors and/or activators in complex biologic samples including body fluids, excreta, or the environment. Here, we adapt real-time quaking-induced conversion conditions to specifically detect CWD prions in fecal samples from both experimentally infected deer and naturally infected elk and estimate environmental contamination. The results have application to detection, surveillance and management of CWD, and potentially to other protein-misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davin M Henderson
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Joanne M Tennant
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Nicholas J Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Pathology, Midwestern State University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Nathaniel D Denkers
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Candace K Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Edward A Hoover
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Palmer MV, Cox RJ, Waters WR, Thacker TC, Whipple DL. Using White-tailed Deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) in Infectious Disease Research. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2017; 56:350-360. [PMID: 28724483 PMCID: PMC5517323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Between 1940 and 2004, more than 335 emerging infectious disease events were reported in the scientific literature. The majority (60%) of these events involved zoonoses, most of which (72%) were of wildlife origin or had an epidemiologically important wildlife host. Because this trend of increasing emerging diseases likely will continue, understanding the pathogenesis, transmission, and diagnosis of these diseases in the relevant wildlife host is paramount. Achieving this goal often requires using wild animals as research subjects, which are vastly different from the traditional livestock or laboratory animals used by most universities and institutions. Using wildlife in infectious disease research presents many challenges but also provides opportunities to answer questions impossible to address by using traditional models. Cervid species, especially white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), elk (Cervus canadensis), and red deer (Cervus elaphus), are hosts or sentinels for several important pathogens, some of which are zoonotic. The long history of infectious disease research using white-tailed deer, conducted at ever-increasing levels of sophisticated biosecurity, demonstrates that this type of research can be conducted safely and that valuable insights can be gained. The greatest challenges to using wildlife in infectious disease research include animal source, facility design, nutrition, animal handling, and enrichment and other practices that both facilitate animal care and enhance animal wellbeing. The study of Mycobacterium bovis infection in white-tailed deer at the USDA's National Animal Disease Center serves to illustrate one approach to address these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell V Palmer
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa;,
| | - Rebecca J Cox
- Animal Resources Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa
| | - W Ray Waters
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa
| | - Tyler C Thacker
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa
| | - Diana L Whipple
- Deputy Director Office, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa
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Prion Diagnosis: Application of Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:5413936. [PMID: 28596963 PMCID: PMC5449729 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5413936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Prions composed of pathogenic scrapie prion protein (PrPSc) are infectious pathogens that cause progressive neurological conditions known as prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Although these diseases pose considerable risk to public health, procedures for early diagnosis have not been established. One of the most recent attempts at sensitive and specific detection of prions is the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) method, which measures the activity of PrPSc aggregates or amyloid formation triggered by PrPSc seeds in the presence of recombinant PrP. In this review, we summarize prions, prion diseases, and current approaches to diagnosis, including the principle, conditions for assay performance, and current diagnostic applications of RT-QuIC.
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Pathways of Prion Spread during Early Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00077-17. [PMID: 28250130 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00077-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Among prion infections, two scenarios of prion spread are generally observed: (i) early lymphoid tissue replication or (ii) direct neuroinvasion without substantial antecedent lymphoid amplification. In nature, cervids are infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions by oral and nasal mucosal exposure, and studies of early CWD pathogenesis have implicated pharyngeal lymphoid tissue as the earliest sites of prion accumulation. However, knowledge of chronological events in prion spread during early infection remains incomplete. To investigate this knowledge gap in early CWD pathogenesis, we exposed white-tailed deer to CWD prions by mucosal routes and performed serial necropsies to assess PrPCWD tissue distribution by real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and tyramide signal amplification immunohistochemistry (TSA-IHC). Although PrPCWD was not detected by either method in the initial days (1 and 3) postexposure, we observed PrPCWD seeding activity and follicular immunoreactivity in oropharyngeal lymphoid tissues at 1 and 2 months postexposure (MPE). At 3 MPE, PrPCWD replication had expanded to all systemic lymphoid tissues. By 4 MPE, the PrPCWD burden in all lymphoid tissues had increased and approached levels observed in terminal disease, yet there was no evidence of nervous system invasion. These results indicate the first site of CWD prion entry is in the oropharynx, and the initial phase of prion amplification occurs in the oropharyngeal lymphoid tissues followed by rapid dissemination to systemic lymphoid tissues. This lymphoid replication phase appears to precede neuroinvasion.IMPORTANCE Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a universally fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting cervids, and natural infection occurs through oral and nasal mucosal exposure to infectious prions. Terminal disease is characterized by PrPCWD accumulation in the brain and lymphoid tissues of affected animals. However, the initial sites of prion accumulation and pathways of prion spread during early CWD infection remain unknown. To investigate the chronological events of early prion pathogenesis, we exposed deer to CWD prions and monitored the tissue distribution of PrPCWD over the first 4 months of infection. We show CWD uptake occurs in the oropharynx with initial prion replication in the draining oropharyngeal lymphoid tissues, rapidly followed by dissemination to systemic lymphoid tissues without evidence of neuroinvasion. These data highlight the two phases of CWD infection: a robust prion amplification in systemic lymphoid tissues prior to neuroinvasion and establishment of a carrier state.
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Waddell L, Greig J, Mascarenhas M, Otten A, Corrin T, Hierlihy K. Current evidence on the transmissibility of chronic wasting disease prions to humans-A systematic review. Transbound Emerg Dis 2017; 65:37-49. [PMID: 28139079 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A number of prion diseases affect humans, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; most of these are due to genetic mutations in the affected individual and occur sporadically, but some result from transmission of prion proteins from external sources. Of the known animal prion diseases, only bovine spongiform encephalopathy prions have been shown to be transmissible from animals to humans under non-experimental conditions. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease that affects cervids (e.g., deer and elk) in North America and isolated populations in Korea and Europe. Systematic review methodology was used to identify, select, critically appraise and analyse data from relevant research. Studies were evaluated for adherence to good conduct based on their study design following the Cochrane collaboration's approach to grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations (GRADE). Twenty-three studies were included after screening 800 citations from the literature search and evaluating 78 full papers. Studies examined the transmissibility of CWD prions to humans using epidemiological study design, in vitro and in vivo experiments. Five epidemiological studies, two studies on macaques and seven studies on humanized transgenic mice provided no evidence to support the possibility of transmission of CWD prions to humans. Ongoing surveillance in the United States and Canada has not documented CWD transmission to humans. However, two studies on squirrel monkeys provided evidence that transmission of CWD prions resulting in prion disease is possible in these monkeys under experimental conditions and seven in vitro experiments provided evidence that CWD prions can convert human prion protein to a misfolded state. Therefore, future discovery of CWD transmission to humans cannot be entirely ruled out on the basis of current studies, particularly in the light of possible decades-long incubation periods for CWD prions in humans. It would be prudent to continue CWD research and epidemiologic surveillance, exercise caution when handling potentially contaminated material and explore CWD management opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Waddell
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division of the National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - J Greig
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division of the National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - M Mascarenhas
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division of the National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - A Otten
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division of the National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - T Corrin
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division of the National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - K Hierlihy
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division of the National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Falcão CBR, Lima ILDMNF, Duarte JMB, de Oliveira JRM, Torres RA, Wanderley AM, Gomes da Cunha JE, Garcia JE. Are Brazilian cervids at risk of prion diseases? Prion 2017; 11:65-70. [PMID: 28281927 PMCID: PMC5360121 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2016.1274000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative fatal disorders that affect human and non-human mammals. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a prion disease of cervids regarded as a public health problem in North America, and polymorphisms at specific codons in the PRNP gene are associated with this disease. To assess the potential CWD susceptibility of South American free-ranging deer, the presence of these polymorphisms was examined in Mazama gouazoubira, Ozotoceros bezoarticus and Blastocerus dichotomus. Despite the lack of CWD reports in Brazil, the examined codons (95, 96, 116, 132, 225, and 226) of the PRNP gene showed potential CWD susceptibility in Brazilian deer. Low abundancy of deer in Brazil possibly difficult both CWD proliferation and detection, however, CWD surveillance may not be neglected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio Bruno Ribeiro Falcão
- Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Vitória de Santo Antão, PE, Brazil;
| | | | | | | | | | - Artur Maia Wanderley
- Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Vitória de Santo Antão, PE, Brazil;
| | | | - José Eduardo Garcia
- Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Vitória de Santo Antão, PE, Brazil;
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Ricci A, Allende A, Bolton D, Chemaly M, Davies R, Fernández Escámez PS, Gironés R, Herman L, Koutsoumanis K, Lindqvist R, Nørrung B, Robertson L, Sanaa M, Skandamis P, Snary E, Speybroeck N, Ter Kuile B, Threlfall J, Wahlström H, Benestad S, Gavier-Widen D, Miller MW, Ru G, Telling GC, Tryland M, Ortiz Pelaez A, Simmons M. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. EFSA J 2017; 15:e04667. [PMID: 32625260 PMCID: PMC7010154 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In April and May of 2016, Norway confirmed two cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a wild reindeer and a wild moose, respectively. In the light of this emerging issue, the European Commission requested EFSA to recommend surveillance activities and, if necessary, additional animal health risk-based measures to prevent the introduction of the disease and the spread into/within the EU, specifically Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden, and considering seven wild, semidomesticated and farmed cervid species (Eurasian tundra reindeer, Finnish (Eurasian) forest reindeer, moose, roe deer, white-tailed deer, red deer and fallow deer). It was also asked to assess any new evidence on possible public health risks related to CWD. A 3-year surveillance system is proposed, differing for farmed and wild or semidomesticated cervids, with a two-stage sampling programme at the farm/geographically based population unit level (random sampling) and individual level (convenience sampling targeting high-risk animals). The current derogations of Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1918 present a risk of introduction of CWD into the EU. Measures to prevent the spread of CWD within the EU are dependent upon the assumption that the disease is already present; this is currently unknown. The measures listed are intended to contain (limit the geographic extent of a focus) and/or to control (actively stabilise/reduce infection rates in an affected herd or population) the disease where it occurs. With regard to the zoonotic potential, the human species barrier for CWD prions does not appear to be absolute. These prions are present in the skeletal muscle and other edible tissues, so humans may consume infected material in enzootic areas. Epidemiological investigations carried out to date make no association between the occurrence of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and exposure to CWD prions.
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