IUBio

CRETZFELD-JACOB-SYNDROME

Martin Leach leach at mbcrr.harvard.edu
Thu Apr 14 10:05:53 EST 1994


In article <2oj0tr$j3g at bambi.zdv.uni-mainz.de>,
dauscher at mzdmza.zdv.uni-mainz.de wrote:

> Can anyone tell me, whether the number of Creutzfeld-Jacob-Patients
> in the European Countries has been rising in the last few years?
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 
> Peter
> 
> Peter Dauscher
> Universitaet Mainz, Germany
> 
> email: dauscher at mzdmza.zdv.uni-mainz.de

Dear Peter,

I have been out of the prion field for a couple of years.
However, since mutations in the prion gene have been discovered by many
groups, as well as associated polymorphisms that may be predisposing
factors - these are being used to diagnose the disease (together with the
neuropathology).

Since it is very easy to diagnose by performing pcr on DNA and find these
mutations - the DETECTION of this disease has increased, with a
corresponding increase in the number of cases reported.

This has hit a high note in England especially because of the very great
incidence of mad-cow disease (BSE - bovine spongiform encephalopathy) which
has a very similar neuropathology to CJD.

We in fact published a paper (collinge et. al. in lancet) showing that some
alzheimer cases where in fact GSS (Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome) or CJD.

Hope this helps.

Martin Leach
-- 

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