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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Animal Disease Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #85894
Title: PRECLINICAL DETECTION OF PRP-SCRAPIE IN NICTITATING MEMBRANE LYMPHOID TISSUE OF SHEEP

Author
item O'Rourke, Katherine
item BASZLER, TIMOTHY - WSAHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item PARISH, STEVEN - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item Knowles Jr, Donald

Submitted to: Nature
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/16/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: This paper describes a preclinical screening method for sheep infected with the scrapie agent. The 3rd (nictitating) eyelid of sheep is removed and tested for PrP-scrapie by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibody F89/160.1.5. This mAb has previously been shown to react with PrP-scrapie.

Technical Abstract: Sheep scrapie is the prototype of a heterogeneous group of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) also occurring in humans, cattle, cats, mik, and cervids. TSEs are characterized by deposition of prion proteins (PrP-Scrapie or PrP-Sc) in the central nervous system of affected individuals. PrP-Sc and infectivity have been detected in the lymphoreticular system of sheep well before symptoms occur and detection of PrP-Sc in lymphoid tissue has been proposed as a preclinical diagnostic test for scrapie. In this paper, we report a noninvasive diagnostic assay based on biopsy of lymphoid nodules in the nictitating membrane of sheep and detection of PrP-Sc in situ using monoclonal antibody F89/160.1.5 and a sensitive immunohistochemical technique. We detected PrP-Sc in clinically normal, high risk sheep aged 1,2, and 3 years. This test provides a practical method for early detection of scrapie infected sheep.