Prion Safety Laboratory Swipe Test

Prion Safety Laboratory Swipe Test

DOI: 10.3791/67889

February 14th, 2025

Sara M. Simmons1, Qi Yuan1, Jason C. Bartz1

1Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University

Summary

A method to assess commonly used areas in laboratory settings for prion contamination and effective decontamination is lacking. The protocol described here provides key fundamentals for implementing a laboratory prion safety swipe test that can easily be modified to meet the individual needs of specific laboratories.

Abstract

Transmission of iatrogenic prion disease has occurred from contaminated neurosurgical tools, transplant materials, and occupational exposure to prion-contaminated laboratory tools. Prions cause disease by the templated misfolding of the normal cellular form of the prion protein, PrPC, into the misfolded and pathogenic form PrPSc and are invariably fatal. Reducing iatrogenic and occupational prion transmission is challenging. First, prions can bind to and persist on surfaces for long periods of time. Second, prions are highly resistant to inactivation. Given this, surfaces can retain infectivity for long periods of time following ineffective decontamination. Not only can this pose a potential occupational risk for prion laboratory workers, but it could potentially cross-contaminate laboratory experiments utilizing sensitive prion amplification techniques. The protocol described here for a prion safety laboratory swipe test includes steps for the identification and documentation of high-traffic laboratory areas, recommended swabbing controls to ensure the validity of results, steps to identify proper responses to positive surface swabbing sites, representative results from prion swipe testing, as well as potential artifactual results. Overall, the prion safety laboratory swipe test can be implemented as part of a broader prion safety program to assess decontamination of surfaces, monitor common spaces for prion contamination, and implement the documentation of prion decontamination status.

Introduction

Prion diseases are invariably fatal neurodegenerative diseases with no known treatment or cure. Prion diseases are caused by PrPSc, the misfolded and pathogenic form of the normal cellular form of the prion protein1,2,3,4,5, PrPC. Prion diseases are known to affect humans and several other animal species. One human prion disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, CJD, has three known etiologies: sporadic, inherited, and acquired. Acquired CJD can occur as a result of accidental transmission (iatrogenic and occupational) and is thought to be the cause of Kuru in the Fore people of Papua New Guinea6.

Prion transmission has been associated with prion-contaminated medical devices and transplant materials7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17. Iatrogenic transmission of CJD can occur via blood, tissue, or from prion-contaminated surfaces18,19,20. For example, iatrogenic CJD can develop in patients following an electroencephalogram with electrodes previously used on an individual in the preclinical stage of CJD who then later succumbed to CJD21. More recent laboratory-based occupational transmission has also occurred where a laboratory worker contracted prion disease via a skin puncture with forceps used to handle brain slices from an animal infected with sheep-adapted BSE22,23. Such transmission scenarios could occur within clinical, laboratory, and diagnostic laboratory settings where prion samples are handled.

Prions resist common disinfection techniques and can persist and remain infectious on surfaces for extended periods of time24,25,26,27,28,29. Common disinfection techniques such as the use of ethanol, phenolic cleaners, hydrogen peroxide, various forms of radiation, and formaldehyde are inadequate for the inactivation of prions, allowing surfaces to retain infectivity30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37. These characteristics contribute to the transmission of prions during iatrogenic and occupational exposure.

Methods for the detection of environmental prions have only recently been developed. An environmental swabbing method coupled with real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) can assess residual prion infectivity from environmental surfaces as well as common laboratory surfaces following ineffective disinfection38,39,40,41,42. Here, we describe how this technique can be incorporated into a broader prion safety program. Overall, this method can allow for the monitoring of laboratory-dependent disinfection protocols, the investigation and proper documentation of contamination status, which can help ensure the validity of experiments by minimizing cross-contamination, the assessment of shared use spaces for prion contamination and allows for directional retraining of personnel based on commonly contaminated areas.

Protocol

All procedures involving animals were approved and in compliance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals by the Creighton University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

NOTE: A schematic overview of the prion safety laboratory swipe test is shown in Figure 1.

1. Selection of swabbing sites and preparation for surface swabbing

Snip…see full text;

https://app.jove.com/t/67889/prion-safety-laboratory-swipe-test

Singeltary Reply

Published: 09 September 2015

Evidence for human transmission of amyloid-β pathology and cerebral amyloid angiopathy

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature15369#article-comments

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature15369

Singeltary Comment at very bottom of this Nature publishing;

re-Evidence for human transmission of amyloid-β pathology and cerebral amyloid angiopathy

I would kindly like to comment on the Nature Paper, the Lancet reply, and the newspaper articles.

First, I applaud Nature, the Scientist and Authors of the Nature paper, for bringing this important finding to the attention of the public domain, and the media for printing said findings.

Secondly, it seems once again, politics is getting in the way possibly of more important Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion scientific findings. findings that could have great implications for human health, and great implications for the medical surgical arena. but apparently, the government peer review process, of the peer review science, tries to intervene again to water down said disturbing findings.

where have we all heard this before? it's been well documented via the BSE Inquiry. have they not learned a lesson from the last time?

we have seen this time and time again in England (and other Country's) with the BSE mad cow TSE Prion debacle.

That 'anonymous' Lancet editorial was disgraceful. The editor, Dick Horton is not a scientist.

The pituitary cadavers were very likely elderly and among them some were on their way to CJD or Alzheimer's. Not a bit unusual. Then the recipients ? 

who got pooled extracts injected from thousands of cadavers ? were 100% certain to have been injected with both seeds. No surprise that they got both diseases going after thirty year incubations.

That the UK has a "system in place to assist science journalists" to squash embargoed science reports they find 'alarming' is pathetic.

Sounds like the journalists had it right in the first place: 'Alzheimer's may be a transmissible infection' in The Independent to 'You can catch Alzheimer's' in The Daily Mirror or 'Alzheimer's bombshell' in The Daily Express

if not for the journalist, the layperson would not know about these important findings.

where would we be today with sound science, from where we were 30 years ago, if not for the cloak of secrecy and save the industry at all cost mentality?

when you have a peer review system for science, from which a government constantly circumvents, then you have a problem with science, and humans die.

to date, as far as documented body bag count, with all TSE prion named to date, that count is still relatively low (one was too many in my case, Mom hvCJD), however that changes drastically once the TSE Prion link is made with Alzheimer's, the price of poker goes up drastically.

so, who makes that final decision, and how many more decades do we have to wait?

the iatrogenic mode of transmission of TSE prion, the many routes there from, load factor, threshold from said load factor to sub-clinical disease, to clinical disease, to death, much time is there to spread a TSE Prion to anywhere, but whom, by whom, and when, do we make that final decision to do something about it globally? how many documented body bags does it take? how many more decades do we wait? how many names can we make up for one disease, TSE prion?

Professor Collinge et al, and others, have had troubles in the past with the Government meddling in scientific findings, that might in some way involve industry, never mind human and or animal health.

FOR any government to continue to circumvent science for monetary gain, fear factor, or any reason, shame, shame on you.

in my opinion, it's one of the reasons we are at where we are at to date, with regards to the TSE Prion disease science i.e. money, industry, politics, then comes science, in that order.

greed, corporate, lobbyist there from, and government, must be removed from the peer review process of sound science, it's bad enough having them in the pharmaceutical aspect of healthcare policy making, in my opinion.

my mother died from confirmed hvCJD, and her brother (my uncle) Alzheimer's of some type (no autopsy?). just made a promise, never forget, and never let them forget, before I do.

I kindly wish to remind the public of the past, and a possible future we all hopes never happens again. ...

[9. Whilst this matter is not at the moment directly concerned with the iatrogenic CJD cases from hgH, there remains a possibility of litigation here, and this presents an added complication. There are also results to be made available shortly (1) concerning a farmer with CJD who had BSE animals, (2) on the possible transmissibility of Alzheimer's and (3) a CMO letter on prevention of iatrogenic CJD transmission in neurosurgery, all of which will serve to increase media interest.]

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature15369

Singeltary Comment at very bottom of this Nature publishing, takes a while to load...terry

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature15369#article-comments

O.K., so it’s about 23 years later, so somebody please tell me, when is "more research is required’’ enough time for evaluation ? 

Alzheimer's disease

let's not forget the elephant in the room. curing Alzheimer's would be a great and wonderful thing, but for starters, why not start with the obvious, lets prove the cause or causes, and then start to stop that. think iatrogenic, friendly fire, or the pass it forward mode of transmission. think medical, surgical, dental, tissue, blood, related transmission. think transmissible spongiform encephalopathy aka tse prion disease aka mad cow type disease... 

Commentary: Evidence for human transmission of amyloid-β pathology and cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy prion disease, Iatrogenic, what if ? 

Posted by flounder on 05 Nov 2014 at 21:27 GMT 

Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy prion disease, Iatrogenic, what if ?

Background

Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy disease have both been around a long time, and was discovered in or around the same time frame, early 1900’s. Both diseases are incurable and debilitating brain disease, that are in the end, 100% fatal, with the incubation/clinical period of the Alzheimer’s disease being longer (most of the time) than the TSE prion disease. Symptoms are very similar, and pathology is very similar.

Methods

Through years of research, as a layperson, of peer review journals, transmission studies, and observations of loved ones and friends that have died from both Alzheimer’s and the TSE prion disease i.e. Heidenhain Variant Creutzfelt Jakob Disease CJD.

Results

I propose that Alzheimer’s is a TSE disease of low dose, slow, and long incubation disease, and that Alzheimer’s is Transmissible, and is a threat to the public via the many Iatrogenic routes and sources. It was said long ago that the only thing that disputes this, is Alzheimer’s disease transmissibility, or the lack of. The likelihood of many victims of Alzheimer’s disease from the many different Iatrogenic routes and modes of transmission as with the TSE prion disease.

Conclusions

There should be a Global Congressional Science round table event set up immediately to address these concerns from the many potential routes and sources of the TSE prion disease, including Alzheimer’s disease, and a emergency global doctrine put into effect to help combat the spread of Alzheimer’s disease via the medical, surgical, dental, tissue, and blood arena’s. All human and animal TSE prion disease, including Alzheimer’s should be made reportable in every state, and Internationally, WITH NO age restrictions. Until a proven method of decontamination and autoclaving is proven, and put forth in use universally, in all hospitals and medical, surgical arena’s, or the TSE prion agent will continue to spread. IF we wait until science and corporate politicians wait until politics lets science _prove_ this once and for all, and set forth regulations there from, we will all be exposed to the TSE Prion agents, if that has not happened already.

end...tss

Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy prion disease, Iatrogenic, what if ? 

Posted by flounder on 05 Nov 2014 at 21:27 GMT 

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comment?id=10.1371/annotation/933cc83a-a384-45c3-b3b2-336882c30f9d

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1982;396:131-43.

Alzheimer's disease and transmissible virus dementia (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease).

Brown P, Salazar AM, Gibbs CJ Jr, Gajdusek DC.

Abstract

Ample justification exists on clinical, pathologic, and biologic grounds for considering a similar pathogenesis for AD and the spongiform virus encephalopathies. However, the crux of the comparison rests squarely on results of attempts to transmit AD to experimental animals, and these results have not as yet validated a common etiology. Investigations of the biologic similarities between AD and the spongiform virus encephalopathies proceed in several laboratories, and our own observation of inoculated animals will be continued in the hope that incubation periods for AD may be even longer than those of CJD.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6758661/

CJD1/9 0185 Ref: 1M51A

IN STRICT CONFIDENCE

Dr McGovern From: Dr A Wight Date: 5 January 1993 Copies: Dr Metters Dr Skinner Dr Pickles Dr Morris Mr Murray

TRANSMISSION OF ALZHEIMER-TYPE PLAQUES TO PRIMATES

1. CMO will wish to be aware that a meeting was held at DH yesterday, 4 January, to discuss the above findings. It was chaired by Professor Murray (Chairman of the MRC Co-ordinating Committee on Research in the Spongiform Encephalopathies in Man), and attended by relevant experts in the fields of Neurology, Neuropathology, molecular biology, amyloid biochemistry, and the spongiform encephalopathies, and by representatives of the MRC and AFRC. 2. Briefly, the meeting agreed that:

i) Dr Ridley et als findings of experimental induction of p amyloid in primates were valid, interesting and a significant advance in the understanding of neurodegenerative disorders;

ii) there were no immediate implications for the public health, and no further safeguards were thought to be necessary at present; and

iii) additional research was desirable, both epidemiological and at the molecular level. Possible avenues are being followed up by DH and the MRC, but the details will require further discussion. 93/01.05/4.1

http://web.archive.org/web/20090506012455/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1993/01/05004001.pdf

BSE101/1 0136

IN CONFIDENCE

5 NOV 1992 CMO From: Dr J S Metters DCMO 4 November 1992

TRANSMISSION OF ALZHEIMER TYPE PLAQUES TO PRIMATES

1. Thank you for showing me Diana Dunstan's letter. I am glad that MRC have recognized the public sensitivity of these findings and intend to report them in their proper context. This hopefully will avoid misunderstanding and possible distortion by the media to portray the results as having more greater significance than the findings so far justify.

2. Using a highly unusual route of transmission (intra-cerebral injection) the researchers have demonstrated the transmission of a pathological process from two cases one of severe Alzheimer's disease the other of Gerstmann-Straussler disease to marmosets. However they have not demonstrated the transmission of either clinical condition as the "animals were behaving normally when killed'. As the report emphasizes the unanswered question is whether the disease condition would have revealed itself if the marmosets had lived longer. They are planning further research to see if the conditions, as opposed to the partial pathological process, is transmissible. What are the implications for public health?

3. The route of transmission is very specific and in the natural state of things highly unusual. However it could be argued that the results reveal a potential risk, in that brain tissue from these two patients has been shown to transmit a pathological process. Should therefore brain tissue from such cases be regarded as potentially infective? Pathologists, morticians, neuro surgeons and those assisting at neuro surgical procedures and others coming into contact with "raw" human brain tissue could in theory be at risk. However, on a priori grounds given the highly specific route of transmission in these experiments that risk must be negligible if the usual precautions for handling brain tissue are observed.

92/11.4/1-1 BSE101/1 0137

4. The other dimension to consider is the public reaction. To some extent the GSS case demonstrates little more than the transmission of BSE to a pig by intra-cerebral injection. If other prion diseases can be transmitted in this way it is little surprise that some pathological findings observed in GSS were also transmissible to a marmoset. But the transmission of features of Alzheimer's pathology is a different matter, given the much greater frequency of this disease and raises the unanswered question whether some cases are the result of a transmissible prion. The only tenable public line will be that "more research is required" before that hypothesis could be evaluated. The possibility on a transmissible prion remains open. In the meantime MRC needs carefully to consider the range and sequence of studies needed to follow through from the preliminary observations in these two cases. Not a particularly comfortable message, but until we know more about the causation of Alzheimer's disease the total reassurance is not practical.

JS METTERS Room 509 Richmond House Pager No: 081-884 3344 Callsign: DOH 832 121/YdeS 92/11.4/1.2

https://web.archive.org/web/20170126060344/http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20080102232842/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/11/04001001.pdf

CJD1/9 0185

Ref: 1M51A

IN STRICT CONFIDENCE

From: Dr. A Wight Date: 5 January 1993

Copies:

Dr Metters Dr Skinner Dr Pickles Dr Morris Mr Murray

TRANSMISSION OF ALZHEIMER-TYPE PLAQUES TO PRIMATES

https://web.archive.org/web/20040315075058/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/12/16005001.pdf

''on the possible transmissibility of Alzheimer's''

9. Whilst this matter is not at the moment directly concerned with the iatrogenic CJD cases from hgH, there remains a possibility of litigation here, and this presents an added complication. There are also results to be made available shortly 

(1) concerning a farmer with CJD who had BSE animals, 

(2) on the possible transmissibility of Alzheimer's and 

(3) a CMO letter on prevention of iatrogenic CJD transmission in neurosurgery, all of which will serve to increase media interest.

https://web.archive.org/web/20040315075058/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/12/16005001.pdf

Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy prion disease, Iatrogenic, what if ? 

Posted by flounder on 05 Nov 2014 at 21:27 GMT 

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comment?id=10.1371/annotation/933cc83a-a384-45c3-b3b2-336882c30f9d

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comments?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0111492

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00005/full

Self-Propagative Replication of Ab Oligomers Suggests Potential Transmissibility in Alzheimer Disease 

*** Singeltary comment PLoS *** 

Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy prion disease, Iatrogenic, what if ? 

Posted by flounder on 05 Nov 2014 at 21:27 GMT 

http://www.plosone.org/annotation/listThread.action?root=82860

IN CONFIDENCE

5 NOVEMBER 1992

TRANSMISSION OF ALZHEIMER TYPE PLAQUES TO PRIMATES

[9. Whilst this matter is not at the moment directly concerned with the iatrogenic CJD cases from hgH, there remains a possibility of litigation here, and this presents an added complication. 

There are also results to be made available shortly 

(1) concerning a farmer with CJD who had BSE animals, 

(2) on the possible transmissibility of Alzheimer’s and 

(3) a CMO letter on prevention of iatrogenic CJD transmission in neurosurgery, all of which will serve to increase media interest.]

https://web.archive.org/web/20170126060344/http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20080102232842/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/11/04001001.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20040315075058/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/12/16005001.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20040315075058/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/12/16005001.pdf

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019 

In Alzheimer's Mice, Decades-Old Human Cadaveric Pituitary Growth Hormone Samples Can Transmit and Seed Amyloid-Beta Pathology

https://betaamyloidcjd.blogspot.com/2019/02/in-alzheimers-mice-decades-old-human.html

Subject: CWD GSS TSE PRION SPINAL CORD, Confucius Ponders, What if?

REVIEW

***> In conclusion, sensory symptoms and loss of reflexes in Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome can be explained by neuropathological changes in the spinal cord. We conclude that the sensory symptoms and loss of lower limb reflexes in Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome is due to pathology in the caudal spinal cord. <***

***> The clinical and pathological presentation in macaques was mostly atypical, with a strong emphasis on spinal cord pathology.<*** 

***> The notion that CWD can be transmitted orally into both new-world and old-world non-human primates asks for a careful reevaluation of the zoonotic risk of CWD. <***

***> All animals have variable signs of prion neuropathology in spinal cords and brains and by supersensitive IHC, reaction was detected in spinal cord segments of all animals.<*** 

***> In particular the US data do not clearly exclude the possibility of human (sporadic or familial) TSE development due to consumption of venison. The Working Group thus recognizes a potential risk to consumers if a TSE would be present in European cervids.'' Scientific opinion on chronic wasting disease (II) <***

Saturday, February 2, 2019 

CWD GSS TSE PRION SPINAL CORD, Confucius Ponders, What if?

https://familialcjdtseprion.blogspot.com/2019/02/cwd-gss-tse-prion-spinal-cord-confucius.html

Friday, January 29, 2016

Synucleinopathies: Past, Present and Future, iatrogenic, what if?

http://synucleinopathies.blogspot.com/2016/01/synucleinopathies-past-present-and.html

http://synucleinopathies.blogspot.com/

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014

vpspr, sgss, sffi, TSE, an iatrogenic by-product of gss, ffi, familial type prion disease, what it ???

Greetings Friends, Neighbors, and Colleagues,

vpspr, sgss, sffi, TSE, an iatrogenic by-product of gss, ffi, familial type prion disease, what it ???

Confucius is confused again.

I was just sitting and thinking about why there is no genetic link to some of these TSE prion sGSS, sFFi, and it’s really been working on my brain, and then it hit me today.

what if, vpspr, sgss, sffi, TSE prion disease, was a by-product from iatrogenic gss, ffi, familial type prion disease ???

it could explain the cases of no genetic link to the gss, ffi, familial type prion disease, to the family.

sporadic and familial is a red herring, in my opinion, and underestimation is spot on, due to the crude prehistoric diagnostic procedures and criteria and definition of a prion disease.

I say again, what if, iatrogenic, what if, with all these neurological disorders, with a common denominator that is increasingly showing up in the picture, called the prion.

I urge all scientist to come together here, with this as the utmost of importance about all these neurological disease that are increasingly showing up as a prion mechanism, to put on the front burners, the IATROGENIC aspect and the potential of transmission there from, with diseases/disease??? in question.

by definition, could they be a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE prion type disease, and if so, what are the iatrogenic chances of transmission?

this is very important, and should be at the forefront of research, and if proven, could be a monumental breakthrough in science and battle against the spreading of these disease/diseases.

the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health pub-med site, a quick search of the word SPORADIC will give you a hit of 40,747. of those, there are a plethora of disease listed under sporadic. sporadic simply means (UNKNOWN).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=sporadic

the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health pub-med site, a quick search of the word FAMILIAL will give you a hit of 921,815. of those, there are a plethora of disease listed under familial.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=familial

again, sporadic and familial is a red herring, in my opinion.

also, in my opinion, when you start have disease such as sporadic Fatal Familial Insomnia, (and or sporadic GSS, or the VPSPr type prion disease), and there is NO familial genetic linkage to the family of the diseased, I have serious questions there as to a familial type disease, and thus, being defined as such.

snip...see full text;

Friday, January 10, 2014

vpspr, sgss, sffi, TSE, an iatrogenic by-product of gss, ffi, familial type prion disease, what it ???

http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2014/01/vpspr-sgss-sffi-tse-iatrogenic-by.html

22 years ago;

2001 Singeltary on CJD

February 14, 2001

Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Terry S. Singeltary, Sr

Author Affiliations

JAMA. 2001;285(6):733-734. doi:10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-285-6-jlt0214 

To the Editor: In their Research Letter, Dr Gibbons and colleagues1 reported that the annual US death rate due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been stable since 1985. These estimates, however, are based only on reported cases, and do not include misdiagnosed or preclinical cases. It seems to me that misdiagnosis alone would drastically change these figures. An unknown number of persons with a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in fact may have CJD, although only a small number of these patients receive the postmortem examination necessary to make this diagnosis. Furthermore, only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies should be reportable nationwide and internationally.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1031186

https://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2023/09/professor-john-collinge-on-tackling.html

26 MARCH 2003

RE-Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States

Terry S. Singeltary, retired (medically)

I lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant CJD). I would like to comment on the CDC's attempts to monitor the occurrence of emerging forms of CJD. Asante, Collinge et al [1] have reported that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. However, CJD and all human TSEs are not reportable nationally. CJD and all human TSEs must be made reportable in every state and internationally. I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85%+ of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route/source. We have many TSEs in the USA in both animal and man. CWD in deer/elk is spreading rapidly and CWD does transmit to mink, ferret, cattle, and squirrel monkey by intracerebral inoculation. With the known incubation periods in other TSEs, oral transmission studies of CWD may take much longer. Every victim/family of CJD/TSEs should be asked about route and source of this agent. To prolong this will only spread the agent and needlessly expose others. In light of the findings of Asante and Collinge et al, there should be drastic measures to safeguard the medical and surgical arena from sporadic CJDs and all human TSEs. I only ponder how many sporadic CJDs in the USA are type 2 PrPSc?

https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/01.WNL.0000036913.87823.D6

Singeltary 2001

Subject: CJD or Alzheimer's or the same ??? 

Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 12:45:28 -0700 

From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy 

To: BSE-L@uni-karlsruhe.de

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Greetings List,

thought some might be interested in this. I have always wondered if CJD and or all TSEs and Alzheimer's could be linked. i have been of the opinion that Alzheimer's is a TSE for a long time, just at the low end of the titre of infectivity scale. i also believe in the accumulation theory. by dose, you could be killed by one sitting, or one injection, or one whatever, depending on the titre of infectivity of that whatever. on the other hand, if the dose is not a lethal dose, over a period of time, the accumulation will become lethal (if consumption continued), and i believe the route/source/titre of infectivity, will be a key roll to the incubation period, and symptoms.

just my opinion...

Prusiner has spent the last 18 years trying to distance himself from a joint paper with GG Glenner in which prion diseases were recognized as just another amyloid. The recent keynote speech was especially amusing/annoying in that now he is completely turning the tables, trying to adsorb some strains of Alzheimer etc into "prions." The fact is, cross-recruitment has been a standard topic in amyloidoses since the late 70's.

Who would want plasma from someone with the ApoA2 mutation below, given that it can recruit the normal protein?

Snip…end

SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2023 

Alzheimer's Disease Update

https://betaamyloidcjd.blogspot.com/2023/07/alzheimers-disease-update.html

TSE Prion and Endoscopy Equipment

Subject: Re: CJD * Olympus Endoscope

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 15:57:03 –0500

From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr."

To: GOLDSS@...

References: 1

Dear Mr. Goldstine, Hello again, I hope the CDC has not changed your mind, since our phone call, about sending me the information, in which we spoke of. I am still waiting for the information, re-fax. Someone had told me, you would not send me the information, but I told them you would, due to the importance of it pertaining to public safety, and the fact, you are a Doctor. I hope you don't disappoint me, and the rest of the public, and hide the facts, as the CDC and NIH have for years. Olympus can be part of the Truth, or you can be part of the cover-up. We are going to find out, sooner or later.

I already know, as do many more.

Still waiting,

Kind Regards,

Terry S. Singeltary Sr.

Wednesday, March 02, 2016

Endoscope Maker Olympus Agrees To $646 Million Settlement Over Kickbacks, while still ignoring the elephant in the room, CJD TSE PRIONS Health Inc.

*** Evidence For CJD TSE Transmission Via Endoscopes 1-24-3 re-Singeltary to Bramble et al ***

Evidence For CJD/TSE Transmission Via Endoscopes

From Terry S. Singletary

https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/legal-news/olympus-duodenoscopes-linked-to-disease-failure/Olympus-Duodenoscope-Infections-21630.html

see full text;

Evidence For CJD/TSE Transmission Via Endoscopes

From Terry S. Singletary, Sr flounder@wt.net 1-24-3

I have researched human/animal TSEs now for over 5 years due to the death of my Mother from the Heidenhain Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, one of six - known - variants of the infamous 'sporadic' CJD.

I did a little survey several years ago about CJD and ENDOSCOPY in 2001, and then went there again when another article was released recently. However, they seemed to only be concerned with the vCJD strain and risk from endoscopy equipment.

My concerns are if vCJD can be transmitted by blood, and there are now 6 variants of the infamous sporadic CJDs that they are documenting to date, how do they know that none of these 6 variants will not transmit the agent (prion) via blood?...especially since the sporadic CJDs are the only ones documented to date to transmit via the surgical arena and now that the CWD is spreading more and more, who knows about the cattle?

I would always read this study and it would bring me back to reality as to how serious/dangerous this agent is in the surgical/medical arena. You might want to read this short abstract from the late, great Dr. Gibbs twice, and let it really sink in. And please remember while reading some of these transmission studies, that most all, if not ALL these agents transmit freely to primates. Humans, of course, are primates.

Regarding claims that:

'Well, it has never been documented to transmit to humans."

There are two critical factors to think about:

A. CJD/TSEs in the USA are NOT reportable in most states and there is NO CJD/TSE questionnaire for most victims and their families, and the one they are now issuing asks absolutely nothing about route and source of the (prion) agent, only how the disease was diagnosed. Furthermore, the elderly are only very rarely autopsied, ie looking for Alzheimer's or 'FAST Alzheimer's' OR prion disease-related factors and phenomena, such as heart failure caused by disease.

B. It is unethical and against the law to do transmission studies of TSEs to humans, they are 100% FATAL.

I suggest you read these case studies about medical arena CJD transmission very carefully:

1: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1994 Jun;57(6):757-8

Transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease to a chimpanzee by electrodes contaminated during neurosurgery.

Gibbs CJ Jr, Asher DM, Kobrine A, Amyx HL, Sulima MP, Gajdusek DC.

Laboratory of Central Nervous System Studies, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Stereotactic multicontact electrodes used to probe the cerebral cortex of a middle aged woman with progressive dementia were previously implicated in the accidental transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) to two younger patients. The diagnoses of CJD have been confirmed for all three cases. More than two years after their last use in humans, after three cleanings and repeated sterilisation in ethanol and formaldehyde vapour, the electrodes were implanted in the cortex of a chimpanzee. Eighteen months later the animal became ill with CJD. This finding serves to re-emphasise the potential danger posed by reuse of instruments contaminated with the agents of spongiform encephalopathies, even after scrupulous attempts to clean them.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8006664&dopt=Abstract

https://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2010/01/evidence-for-cjd-tse-transmission-via.html

Thursday, January 25, 2024

TSE Prion Disease, Eyes, Ophthalmology Diagnostic Equipment, Iatrogenic, What If?

https://itseprion.blogspot.com/2024/01/tse-prion-disease-eyes-ophthalmology.html

September 12, 2023

Intracerebral Hemorrhage Among Blood Donors and Their Transfusion Recipients

Jingcheng Zhao, MD, PhD1; Klaus Rostgaard, MSc2,3; Elsa Lauwers, PhD4; et alTorsten Dahlén, MD, PhD1,5; Sisse Rye Ostrowski, MD, PhD, DMSc6,7; Christian Erikstrup, MD, PhD8,9; Ole Birger Pedersen, MD, PhD7,10; Bart de Strooper, MD, PhD4,11,12; Robin Lemmens, MD, PhD4,11,13; Henrik Hjalgrim, MD, PhD, DMSc2,3,7,14; Gustaf Edgren, MD, PhD1,15

JAMA. 2023;330(10):941-950. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.14445

Key Points Question Is there an association between the occurrence of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage among blood donors and the risk of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in patients who receive a transfusion with their blood?

Findings In this exploratory retrospective cohort study, which included 759 858 patients in Sweden and 329 512 patients in Denmark, receiving red blood cell transfusions from donors who later developed multiple spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhages was significantly associated with an increased risk of developing spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage compared with receiving a transfusion from donors without subsequent intracerebral hemorrhage (hazard ratios, 2.73 and 2.32 in the Swedish and Danish cohorts, respectively).

Meaning The findings suggest a transfusion-transmissible agent associated with some types of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, but findings may be susceptible to selection bias and residual confounding, and further research is required to understand the potential underlying mechanism.

Abstract Importance Recent reports have suggested that cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a common cause of multiple spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs), may be transmissible through parenteral injection of contaminated cadaveric pituitary hormone in humans.

Objective To determine whether spontaneous ICH in blood donors after blood donation is associated with development of spontaneous ICH in transfusion recipients.

Design, Setting, and Participants Exploratory retrospective cohort study using nationwide blood bank and health register data from Sweden (main cohort) and Denmark (validation cohort) and including all 1 089 370 patients aged 5 to 80 years recorded to have received a red blood cell transfusion from January 1, 1970 (Sweden), or January 1, 1980 (Denmark), until December 31, 2017.

Exposures Receipt of red blood cell transfusions from blood donors who subsequently developed (1) a single spontaneous ICH, (2) multiple spontaneous ICHs, or (3) no spontaneous ICH.

Main Outcomes and Measures Spontaneous ICH in transfusion recipients; ischemic stroke was a negative control outcome.

Results A total of 759 858 patients from Sweden (median age, 65 [IQR, 48-73] years; 59% female) and 329 512 from Denmark (median age, 64 [IQR, 50-73] years; 58% female) were included, with a median follow-up of 5.8 (IQR, 1.4-12.5) years and 6.1 (IQR, 1.5-11.6) years, respectively. Patients who underwent transfusion with red blood cell units from donors who developed multiple spontaneous ICHs had a significantly higher risk of a single spontaneous ICH themselves, compared with patients receiving transfusions from donors who did not develop spontaneous ICH, in both the Swedish cohort (unadjusted incidence rate [IR], 3.16 vs 1.12 per 1000 person-years; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.73; 95% CI, 1.72-4.35; P < .001) and the Danish cohort (unadjusted IR, 2.82 vs 1.09 per 1000 person-years; adjusted HR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.04-5.19; P = .04). No significant difference was found for patients receiving transfusions from donors who developed a single spontaneous ICH in the Swedish cohort (unadjusted IR, 1.35 vs 1.12 per 1000 person-years; adjusted HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.84-1.36; P = .62) nor the Danish cohort (unadjusted IR, 1.36 vs 1.09 per 1000 person-years; adjusted HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.70-1.60; P = .73), nor for ischemic stroke as a negative control outcome.

Conclusions and Relevance In an exploratory analysis of patients who received red blood cell transfusions, patients who underwent transfusion with red blood cells from donors who later developed multiple spontaneous ICHs were at significantly increased risk of spontaneous ICH themselves. This may suggest a transfusion-transmissible agent associated with some types of spontaneous ICH, although the findings may be susceptible to selection bias and residual confounding, and further research is needed to investigate if transfusion transmission of cerebral amyloid angiopathy might explain this association.

Editorial Blood Transfusion and Brain Amyloidosis JAMA

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2809417

Professor John Collinge on tackling prion diseases

“The best-known human prion disease is sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), a rapidly progressive dementia which accounts for around 1 in 5000 deaths worldwide.”

it has been established that similar so-called “prion-like” mechanisms are involved in much commoner conditions including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

We defined iatrogenic cerebral amyloid angiopathy as a new disease, with relevance to Alzheimer’s disease and public health.

it has been established that similar so-called “prion-like” mechanisms are involved in much commoner conditions including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

We defined iatrogenic cerebral amyloid angiopathy as a new disease, with relevance to Alzheimer’s disease and public health.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/dementia-ucl-priority/professor-john-collinge-tackling-prion-diseases

https://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2023/09/professor-john-collinge-on-tackling.html

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024

Iatrogenic Alzheimer’s disease in recipients of cadaveric pituitary-derived growth hormone

''The clinical syndrome developed by these individuals can, therefore, be termed iatrogenic Alzheimer’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease should now be recognized as a potentially transmissible disorder.''

https://betaamyloidcjd.blogspot.com/2024/01/iatrogenic-alzheimers-disease-in.html

https://itseprion.blogspot.com/2024/01/iatrogenic-alzheimers-disease.html

Terry S. Singeltary Sr.,  flounder9@verizon.net