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Sample records for spongiform encephalopathies tses

  1. Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy and Meat Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Hester J. T.; Knight, Richard S. G.

    Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) comprise a wide-ranging group of neurodegenerative diseases found in animals and humans. They have diverse causes and geographical distributions, but have similar pathological features, transmissibility and, are ultimately, fatal. Central to all TSEs is the presence of an abnormal form of a normal host protein, namely the prion protein. Because of their potential transmissibility, these diseases have wide public health ramifications.

  2. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: Atypical Pros and Cons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurologic diseases that affect several mammalian species including human beings. Four animal TSE agents have been reported: scrapie of sheep and goats; chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer, elk, and moose; transmissible mink encephalopath...

  3. Prions and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juntes Polona

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs or prion diseases are a unique group of neurodegenerative diseases of animals and humans, which always have a fatal outcome and are transmissible among animals of the same or different species. Scope and Approach. The aim of this work is to review some recent data about animal TSEs, with the emphasis on their causative agents and zoonotic potential, and to discuss why the surveillance and control measures over animal TSEs should remain in force. Key Findings and Conclusions. We still have incomplete knowledge of prions and prion diseases. Scrapie has been present for a very long time and controlled with varied success. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE emerged unnoticed, and spread within a few years to epidemic proportions, entailing enormous economic consequences and public concerns. Currently, the classical BSE epidemic is under control, but atypical cases do, and probably will, persist in bovine populations. The Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD of the cervids has been spreading in North America and has recently been detected in Europe. Preventive measures for the control of classical BSE remain in force, including the feed ban and removal of specified risk materials. However, active BSE surveillance has considerably decreased. In the absence of such preventive and control measures, atypical BSE cases in healthy slaughtered bovines might persist in the human food chain, and BSE prions might resurface. Moreover, other prion strains might emerge and spread undetected if the appropriate preventive and surveillance measures were to cease, leaving behind inestimable consequences.

  4. Heart rate variability analysis in sheep affected by transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Konold Timm

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The function of the autonomic nervous system can be assessed by determining heart rate variability (HRV, which is impaired in some brainstem diseases in humans. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs in sheep are diseases characterised by accumulation of disease-associated prion protein in the brainstem, including nuclei of the parasympathetic nervous system. This study was undertaken to assess whether analysis of HRV can be used as an aid in the diagnosis of TSEs in clinically affected, naturally or experimentally infected sheep. Findings When HRV indices were compared between 41 clinical TSE cases (18 sheep infected with scrapie and 23 sheep infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, 11 control sheep and six sheep reported as scrapie suspects or dosed with BSE brain homogenate, which were not confirmed as TSE cases by postmortem tests, no significant differences were found between the groups. Median heart rate was significantly different but only when sheep were grouped by gender: it was higher in female TSE cases than in control sheep and higher in female than castrated male ovine classical BSE cases. Conclusions HRV analysis was not useful as a diagnostic aid for TSEs of sheep.

  5. Chronic wasting disease and atypical forms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie are not transmissible to mice expressing wild-type levels of human prion protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Rona; Plinston, Chris; Hunter, Nora; Casalone, Cristina; Corona, Cristiano; Tagliavini, Fabrizio; Suardi, Silvia; Ruggerone, Margherita; Moda, Fabio; Graziano, Silvia; Sbriccoli, Marco; Cardone, Franco; Pocchiari, Maurizio; Ingrosso, Loredana; Baron, Thierry; Richt, Juergen; Andreoletti, Olivier; Simmons, Marion; Lockey, Richard; Manson, Jean C; Barron, Rona M

    2012-07-01

    The association between bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) has demonstrated that cattle transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) can pose a risk to human health and raises the possibility that other ruminant TSEs may be transmissible to humans. In recent years, several novel TSEs in sheep, cattle and deer have been described and the risk posed to humans by these agents is currently unknown. In this study, we inoculated two forms of atypical BSE (BASE and H-type BSE), a chronic wasting disease (CWD) isolate and seven isolates of atypical scrapie into gene-targeted transgenic (Tg) mice expressing the human prion protein (PrP). Upon challenge with these ruminant TSEs, gene-targeted Tg mice expressing human PrP did not show any signs of disease pathology. These data strongly suggest the presence of a substantial transmission barrier between these recently identified ruminant TSEs and humans.

  6. High-Throughput Screening of Compounds for Anti-Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Activity Using Cell-Culture and Cell-Free Models and Infected Animals

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Caughey, Byron

    2004-01-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal untreatable neurodegenerative diseases associated with the accumulation of a disease-specific form of prion protein (prp(expSc)) in the brain...

  7. Risk analysis of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies in animals: state-of-the-art

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paisley, Larry; de Koeijer, Aline; Hagenaars, Thomas J.

    2008-01-01

    The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) crisis of the last two decades has shown that proper interaction of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication is essential. Mathematical models and risk assessments have been used as a basis for BSE risk management options and much...... of the legislation regarding the control and eradication of BSE. Much uncertainty regarding important input parameters remains a major constraint in risk assessment. Uncertainty is one of the most critical and most difficult aspects of communication of risks about Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs......). Nevertheless, the decline in the BSE epidemic in the UK and most European countries demonstrates that management has been, for the most part, sucessful. Literature pertaining to the three inter-related facets of risk analysis: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication of TSE's of animal origin...

  8. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... the CDC Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow Disease Note: Javascript is disabled or is not ... spongiform encephalopathy) is a progressive neurological disorder of cattle that results from infection by an unusual transmissible ...

  9. Possible case of maternal transmission of feline spongiform encephalopathy in a captive cheetah.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Bencsik

    Full Text Available Feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE is considered to be related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE and has been reported in domestic cats as well as in captive wild cats including cheetahs, first in the United Kingdom (UK and then in other European countries. In France, several cases were described in cheetahs either imported from UK or born in France. Here we report details of two other FSE cases in captive cheetah including a 2(nd case of FSE in a cheetah born in France, most likely due to maternal transmission. Complete prion protein immunohistochemical study on both brains and peripheral organs showed the close likeness between the two cases. In addition, transmission studies to the TgOvPrP4 mouse line were also performed, for comparison with the transmission of cattle BSE. The TgOvPrP4 mouse brains infected with cattle BSE and cheetah FSE revealed similar vacuolar lesion profiles, PrP(d brain mapping with occurrence of typical florid plaques. Collectively, these data indicate that they harbor the same strain of agent as the cattle BSE agent. This new observation may have some impact on our knowledge of vertical transmission of BSE agent-linked TSEs such as in housecat FSE, or vCJD.

  10. 77 FR 29914 - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of Bovines and Bovine Products

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-21

    ... Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of Bovines and Bovine Products AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health... derived from bovines with regard to bovine spongiform encephalopathy. This action will allow interested... importation of live bovines and products derived from bovines with regard to bovine spongiform encephalopathy...

  11. In vitro prion protein conversion suggests risk of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Christopher J.; Morawski, A.R.; Carlson, C.M.; Chang, H.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) affect both domestic sheep (scrapie) and captive and free-ranging cervids (chronic wasting disease; CWD). The geographical range of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis; BHS) overlaps with states or provinces that have contained scrapie-positive sheep or goats and areas with present epizootics of CWD in cervids. No TSEs have been documented in BHS, but the susceptibility of this species to TSEs remains unknown. Results: We acquired a library of BHS tissues and found no evidence of preexisting TSEs in these animals. The prion protein gene (Prnp) in all BHS in our library was identical to scrapie-susceptible domestic sheep (A136R 154Q171). Using an in vitro prion protein conversion assay, which has been previously used to assess TSE species barriers and, in our study appears to recollect known species barriers in mice, we assessed the potential transmissibility of TSEs to BHS. As expected based upon Prnp genotype, we observed BHS prion protein conversion by classical scrapie agent and evidence for a species barrier between transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) and BHS. Interestingly, our data suggest that the species barrier of BHS to white-tailed deer or wapiti CWD agents is likely low. We also used protein misfolding cyclic amplification to confirm that CWD, but not TME, can template prion protein misfolding in A136R 154Q171genotype sheep. Conclusions: Our results indicate the in vitro conversion assay used in our study does mimic the species barrier of mice to the TSE agents that we tested. Based on Prnp genotype and results from conversion assays, BHS are likely to be susceptible to infection by classical scrapie. Despite mismatches in amino acids thought to modulate prion protein conversion, our data indicate that A136R154Q171 genotype sheep prion protein is misfolded by CWD agent, suggesting that these animals could be susceptible to CWD. Further investigation of TSE transmissibility to BHS, including

  12. Evidence for more cost-effective surveillance options for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie in Great Britain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wall, Ben A; Arnold, Mark E; Radia, Devi; Gilbert, Will; Ortiz-Pelaez, Angel; Stärk, Katharina Dc; Van Klink, Ed; Guitian, Javier

    2017-08-10

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are an important public health concern. Since the emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) during the 1980s and its link with human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, active surveillance has been a key element of the European Union's TSE control strategy. Success of this strategy means that now, very few cases are detected compared with the number of animals tested. Refining surveillance strategies would enable resources to be redirected towards other public health priorities. Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed on several alternative strategies involving reducing the number of animals tested for BSE and scrapie in Great Britain and, for scrapie, varying the ratio of sheep sampled in the abattoir to fallen stock (which died on the farm). The most cost-effective strategy modelled for BSE involved reducing the proportion of fallen stock tested from 100% to 75%, producing a cost saving of ca GBP 700,000 per annum. If 50% of fallen stock were tested, a saving of ca GBP 1.4 million per annum could be achieved. However, these reductions are predicted to increase the period before surveillance can detect an outbreak. For scrapie, reducing the proportion of abattoir samples was the most cost-effective strategy modelled, with limited impact on surveillance effectiveness. This article is copyright of The Authors, 2017.

  13. Origin and implications of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narang, H

    1996-04-01

    All spongiform encephalopathies in animals, including humans, are slow developing infectious diseases. The current working theory links the origin of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to the feeding of cattle with meat and bone meal prepared from scrapie-infected sheep remains. Recycling of cattle meat and bones (MBM) essentially resulted in the selection of a single strain from the "wild type", a mixture of 20 strains. The BSE agent is easily transmitted through ingestion, with some evidence of vertical transmission. Paradoxically, cattle have selected a major new strain which appears to be more virulent than an unselected strain found in scrapie sheep. The same strain of BSE agent is implicated in the occurrence of spongiform encephalopathy in domestic cats, tiger, and some exotic species of ruminants in zoos. The properties of BSE and its spread into cattle are still disputed. Since our understanding of the disease and its transmissibility in humans must await observations that will be made over some years to come, it is important to keep a reasonable perspective and ensure that any speculative comment is consistent with fact. In risk assessment in such circumstances, it is tempting give too much credence to persuasive parallels when direct relevant information is not available. On the other hand, it would also not be wise to assume that the disease will die by itself and will have no effect on humans.

  14. Pathogenesis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in sheep

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keulen, van L.J.M.; Vromans, M.E.W.; Dolstra, C.H.; Bossers, A.; Zijderveld, van F.G.

    2008-01-01

    The pathogenesis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in sheep was studied by immunohistochemical detection of scrapie-associated prion protein (PrPSc) in the gastrointestinal, lymphoid and neural tissues following oral inoculation with BSE brain homogenate. First accumulation of PrPSc was

  15. IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDY OF SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES

    OpenAIRE

    J. Meenupriya

    2013-01-01

    Spongiform encephalopathies, categorized as a subclass of neuro-degenerative diseases and commonly known as prion diseases, are a group of progressive conditions that affect the brain and nervous system of many animals, including humans. Prion diseases are common among cannibalistic communities; further research has revealed that the infected or malformed prion protein (named PrPsc) spreads its virulence to the normal, healthy prion protein (named PrPc) when people consume...

  16. Prion Protein Self Interactions; a gateway to novel therapeutic strategies?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rigter, A.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Zijderveld, van F.G.; Bossers, A.

    2010-01-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders and include among others Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, and scrapie in sheep. The central event in disease development in TSEs is the

  17. Recombinant PrP and Its Contribution to Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charco, Jorge M; Eraña, Hasier; Venegas, Vanessa; García-Martínez, Sandra; López-Moreno, Rafael; González-Miranda, Ezequiel; Pérez-Castro, Miguel Ángel; Castilla, Joaquín

    2017-12-14

    The misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrP C ) into the disease-associated isoform (PrP Sc ) 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 PrP Sc 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 PrP Sc 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.

  18. Comparative evidence for a link between Peyer's patch development and susceptibility to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rhind Susan M

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Epidemiological analyses indicate that the age distribution of natural cases of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs reflect age-related risk of infection, however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using a comparative approach, we tested the hypothesis that, there is a significant correlation between risk of infection for scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE and variant CJD (vCJD, and the development of lymphoid tissue in the gut. Methods Using anatomical data and estimates of risk of infection in mathematical models (which included results from previously published studies for sheep, cattle and humans, we calculated the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, rs, between available measures of Peyer's patch (PP development and the estimated risk of infection for an individual of the corresponding age. Results There was a significant correlation between the measures of PP development and the estimated risk of TSE infection; the two age-related distributions peaked in the same age groups. This result was obtained for each of the three host species: for sheep, surface area of ileal PP tissue vs risk of infection, rs = 0.913 (n = 19, P s = 0.933 (n = 19, P s = 0.693 (n = 94, P s = 0.384 (n = 46, P = 0.008. In addition, when changes in exposure associated with BSE-contaminated meat were accounted for, the two age-related patterns for humans remained concordant: rs = 0.360 (n = 46, P = 0.014. Conclusion Our findings suggest that, for sheep, cattle and humans alike there is an association between PP development (or a correlate of PP development and susceptibility to natural TSE infection. This association may explain changes in susceptibility with host age, and differences in the age-susceptibility relationship between host species.

  19. Clinical features in prion protein-deficient and wild-type cattle inoculated with transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Background: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are caused by the propagation of a misfolded form (PrP**d) of the normal cellular prion protein, PrP**c. Recently, we have reported the generation and characterization of PrP**C-deficient cattle (PrP-/-) produced by a seq...

  20. 9 CFR 96.2 - Prohibition of casings due to African swine fever and bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Prohibition of casings due to African swine fever and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. 96.2 Section 96.2 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL... spongiform encephalopathy. (a) Swine casings. The importation of swine casings that originated in or were...

  1. Advancing prion science: guidance for the National Prion Research Program

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Erdtmann, Rick; Sivitz, Laura

    2004-01-01

    ...€™s National Prion Research Program (NPRP). Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also called prion diseases, are invariably fatal neurodegenerative infectious diseases that include bovine spongiform encephalopathy...

  2. Laboratory examinations of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in Denmark during 2016

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Tim Kåre

    The aim of this report is to give detailed information on the diagnostic examination on trans-missible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) performed in Denmark during 2016. The present annual report is the 21st on this topic published by the National Veterinary Institute, Technical University...

  3. Immunohistochemical distinction between preclinical bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie infection in sheep

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thuring, C.M.A.; Keulen, van L.J.M.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Vromans, M.E.W.; Zijderveld, van F.G.; Sweeney, T.

    2005-01-01

    Sheep are susceptible experimentally to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the clinical signs being indistinguishable from those of scrapie. Because of the possibility of natural ovine BSE infection, laboratory tests are needed to distinguish between scrapie and BSE infection. The objectives of

  4. Quantitative Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsutsui, Toshiyuki; Kasuga, Fumiko

    Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a progressive neurological disease of cattle affecting the central nervous system and was first diagnosed in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1986 (Wells et al., 1987). This disease is one of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) which includes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans and scrapie in sheep. The causative agent of TSE is considered to be an abnormal form of prion protein. However, the details of its pathogenic mechanism have not been fully identified. Scrapie, which causes neurological symptoms in sheep and goats, has existed in the UK for 200 years (Hoinville, 1996) and spread across the rest of the world in the 1900s (Detwiler & Baylis, 2003). There has been no report so far that scrapie can be transmitted to humans. Initially, BSE was also considered as a disease affecting only animals. However, a variant type of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) was first reported in the UK, and exposure to a BSE agent was suspected (Collinge, Sidle, Meads, Ironside, & Hill, 1996). vCJD is clinically and pathologically different from the sporadic type of CJD, and age at clinical onset of vCJD is younger than sporadic type (Will et al., 1996). Since the UK government announced the possible association between BSE and vCJD in 1996, BSE has become a huge public health concern all over the world. Of particular concern about vCJD, the fatal disease in younger age, distorted consumer confidence in beef safety, and as a result reduced beef consumption has been seen in many BSE-affected countries.

  5. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, Mad Cow Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. K. Bruckner

    1997-07-01

    Full Text Available Mad Cow Disease or BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy became a household name internationally and also in South Africa. International hysteria resulted following reports of a possible link between a disease diagnosed in cattle in Britain and a variant of the disease diagnosed in humans after the presumed ingestion or contact with meat from infected cattle. The European Union instituted a ban on the importation of beef from the United Kingdom during March 1996 that had a severe effect on the beef industry in the UK and also resulted in a world wide consumer resistance against beef consumption.

  6. Assessing transmissible spongiform encephalopathy species barriers with an in vitro prion protein conversion assay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Christopher J.; Carlson, Christina M.; Morawski, Aaron R.; Manthei, Alyson; Cashman, Neil R.

    2015-01-01

    Studies to understanding interspecies transmission of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs, prion diseases) are challenging in that they typically rely upon lengthy and costly in vivo animal challenge studies. A number of in vitro assays have been developed to aid in measuring prion species barriers, thereby reducing animal use and providing quicker results than animal bioassays. Here, we present the protocol for a rapid in vitroprion conversion assay called the conversion efficiency ratio (CER) assay. In this assay cellular prion protein (PrPC) from an uninfected host brain is denatured at both pH 7.4 and 3.5 to produce two substrates. When the pH 7.4 substrate is incubated with TSE agent, the amount of PrPC that converts to a proteinase K (PK)-resistant state is modulated by the original host’s species barrier to the TSE agent. In contrast, PrPC in the pH 3.5 substrate is misfolded by any TSE agent. By comparing the amount of PK-resistant prion protein in the two substrates, an assessment of the host’s species barrier can be made. We show that the CER assay correctly predicts known prion species barriers of laboratory mice and, as an example, show some preliminary results suggesting that bobcats (Lynx rufus) may be susceptible to white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) chronic wasting disease agent.

  7. Human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in eleven countries: Diagnostic pattern across time, 1993-2002

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J. de Pedro-Cuesta (Jesús); M. Glatzel (Markus); J. Almazán (Javier); K. Stoeck (Katharina); V. Mellina (Vittorio); M. Puopolo (Maria); M. Pocchiari (Maurizio); I. Zerr (Inga); H.A. Kretszchmar (Hans); J-P. Brandel (Jean-Philippe); N. Delasnerie-Laupretre (Nicole); A. Alperovitch (Annick); C.M. van Duijn (Cornelia); P. Sanchez-Juan (Pascual); S.J. Collins (Steven); V. Lewis (Victoria); G.H. Jansen (Gerard); M.B. Coulthart (Michael); E. Gelpi (Ellen); H. Budka (Herbert); E. Mitrová (Eva)

    2006-01-01

    textabstractBackground: The objective of this study was to describe the diagnostic panorama of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies across 11 countries. Methods: From data collected for surveillance purposes, we describe annual proportions of deaths due to different human transmissible

  8. EU-approved rapid tests might underestimate bovine spongiform encephalopathy infection in goats

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meloni, Daniela; Bozzetta, Elena; Langeveld, Jan P.M.; Groschup, Martin H.; Goldmann, Wilfred; Andrèoletti, Olivier; Lantier, Isabelle; Keulen, Van Lucien; Bossers, Alex; Pitardi, Danilo; Nonno, Romolo; Sklaviadis, Theodoros; Ingravalle, Francesco; Peletto, Simone; Colussi, Silvia; Acutis, Pier Luigi

    2017-01-01

    We report the diagnostic sensitivity of 3 EU-approved rapid tests (ELISAs; 1 from IDEXX and 2 from Bio-Rad) for the detection of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy diseases in goats. Ninety-eight goat brainstem samples were tested. All the rapid tests had 100% specificity and ≥80% sensitivity,

  9. Comparative aspects of bovine spongiform encephalopathy isolates found in the U.S.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) can be subdivided into at least three groups: classical, H-type, and L-type. The latter 2 designations are based on higher or lower apparent molecular mass profiles of the unglycosylated PrP**Sc band in a western blot and are collectively referred to as atypica...

  10. Human prion diseases in The Netherlands : clinico-pathological, genetic and molecular aspects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, C.

    2011-01-01

    Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are invariably fatal neurodegenerative disorders that can be sporadic, inherited or acquired by infection. In humans, TSEs comprise three major groups showing a wide phenotypic heterogeneity: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD),

  11. Control of bovine spongiform encephalopathy by genetic engineering: possible approaches and regulatory considerations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gavora, J.S.; Kochhar, H.P.S.; Gifford, G.A.

    2005-01-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), scrapie in sheep and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans. A new CJD variant (nvCJD) is believed to be related to consumption of meat from BSE cattle. In TSE individuals, prion proteins (PrP) with approximately 250 amino acids convert to the pathogenic prion PrP Sc , leading to a dysfunction of the central neural system. Research elsewhere with mice has indicated a possible genetic engineering approach to the introduction of BSE resistance: individuals with amino acid substitutions at positions 167 or 218, inoculated with a pathogenic prion protein, did not support PrP Sc replication. This raises the possibility of producing prion-resistant cattle with a single PrP amino acid substitution. Since prion-resistant animals might still harbour acquired prion infectivity, regulatory assessment of the engineered animals would need to ascertain that such possible 'carriers' do not result in a threat to animal and human health. (author)

  12. Monitoring and analysis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) testing in Denmark using statistical models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paisley, Larry

    2002-01-01

    The evolution of monitoring and surveillance for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from the phase of passive surveillance that began in the United Kingdom in 1988 until the present is described. Currently, surveillance for BSE in Europe consists of mass testing of cattle slaughtered for human...

  13. Generation of a persistently infected MDBK cell line with natural bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongseob Tark

    Full Text Available Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE is a zoonotic transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE thought to be caused by the same prion strain as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD. Unlike scrapie and chronic wasting disease there is no cell culture model allowing the replication of proteinase K resistant BSE (PrPBSE and the further in vitro study of this disease. We have generated a cell line based on the Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK cell line over-expressing the bovine prion protein. After exposure to naturally BSE-infected bovine brain homogenate this cell line has shown to replicate and accumulate PrPBSE and maintain infection up to passage 83 after initial challenge. Collectively, we demonstrate, for the first time, that the BSE agent can infect cell lines over-expressing the bovine prion protein similar to other prion diseases. These BSE infected cells will provide a useful tool to facilitate the study of potential therapeutic agents and the diagnosis of BSE.

  14. Prion Protein Self-Interactions: a gateway to novel therapeutic strategies?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rigter, A.

    2011-01-01

    Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are unique disorders that are not caused by infectious micro-organisms (bacteria or fungi), viruses or parasites, but rather seems to be the result of an infectious protein. TSEs are comprised of fatal neurodegenerative disorders

  15. Prion protein self-interaction in prion disease therapy approaches

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rigter, A.; Priem, J.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Bossers, A.

    2011-01-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are unique disorders that are not caused by infectious micro-organisms (bacteria or fungi), viruses or parasites, but rather seem to be the result of an infectious protein. TSEs are comprised of fatal neurodegenerative disorders

  16. Cattle traceability system in Japan for bovine spongiform encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katsuaki Sugiura

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available To promote consumer confidence in the safety of beef and to ensure the proper implementation of eradication measures against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, the Cattle Traceability Law was approved by the Diet in June 2003 and a cattle traceability system has been in operation in Japan since December 2003. The system enables tracing the cohort and offspring animals of a BSE case within 24 h of its detection. The traceability database system also provides distributors, restaurants and consumers with information on the cattle from which the beef that they sell, serve and consume originate.

  17. Encefalopatías espongiformes transmisibles Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge E Delgado-Hachmeister

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Las encefalopatías espongiformes transmisibles (EET han cobrado gran importancia en los últimos años. Principalmente por el surgimiento de la encefalopatía espongiforme del bovino (EEB y la nueva variante de la ermedad de Creutzfeldt-Jakob (nvECJ, esta última probablemente adquirida por la ingesta de carne de bovino contaminada. Hasta la fecha se ha informado de 109 casos de la nvECJ en el humano y la gran mayoría de los casos ha ocurrido en el Reino Unido. No se sabe la magnitud real que podrán tener las EET en el humano, sin embargo algunos piensan que nos encontramos en el principio de una pandemia de la nvECJ. En el presente artículo se discuten varios aspectos de las EET y métodos para la prevención de la transmisión de estas enfermedades, tanto en rumiantes como en el humano.Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE are a group of diseases which have received a lot of attention in recent years. The interest on these diseases has been stimulated by the appearance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE and the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD; the latter is likely to be acquired by ingesting contaminated beef. Until now 109 cases of nvCJD have been reported, most of them occurring in the United Kingdom. Some experts think that this is the beginning of a nvCJD pandemic. Deep knowledge of the mechanisms of transmission of TSE is needed to prevent the emergence of a TSE pandemic in humans.We address various aspects of TSE and discuss prevention methods of TSE in ruminants and humans.

  18. Laboratory Examinations of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies in Denmark during 2013

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Tim Kåre

    of Denmark (DTU-VET). The report is made to fulfil the demands given by the EU Commission (Regulation No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and the Council of 22. May 2001) and the Office Inter-national des Epizooties (OIE) (Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Ani-mals, 5th edition 2008......, Chapter 2.4.6 and Chapter 2.7.13) regarding diagnostic examinations. The DTU-VET is the national reference laboratory of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and TSE/Scrapie, and therefore the results of all neuropathological examinations on BSE and Scrapie in Denmark are given in the present report...

  19. Laboratory Examinations of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies in Denmark during 2014

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Tim Kåre

    of Denmark (DTU-VET). The report is made to fulfil the demands given by the EU Commission (Regulation No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and the Council of 22. May 2001) and the Office Inter-national des Epizooties (OIE) (Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals, 5th edition 2008......, Chapter 2.4.6 and Chapter 2.7.13) regarding diagnostic examinations. The DTU-VET is the national reference laboratory of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and TSE/Scrapie, and therefore the results of all neuropathological examinations on BSE and Scrapie in Denmark are given in the present report...

  20. Laboratory Examinations of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies in Denmark during 2012

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Tim Kåre

    of Denmark (DTU-VET). The report is made to fulfil the demands given by the EU Commission (Regulation No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and the Council of 22. May 2001) and the Office Inter-national des Epizooties (OIE) (Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Ani-mals, 5th edition 2008......, Chapter 2.4.6 and Chapter 2.7.13) regarding diagnostic examinations. The DTU-VET is the national reference laboratory of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and TSE/Scrapie, and therefore the results of all neuropathological examinations on BSE and Scrapie in Denmark are given in the present report...

  1. Population-Level Retrospective Study of Neurologically Expressed Disorders in Ruminants before the Onset of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Belgium, a BSE Risk III Country

    OpenAIRE

    Saegerman, C.; Berkvens, D.; Claes, L.; Dewaele, A.; Coignoul, F.; Ducatelle, R.; Cassart, D.; Brochier, B.; Costy, F.; Roels, S.; Deluyker, H.; Vanopdenbosch, E.; Thiry, E.

    2005-01-01

    A retrospective epidemiological study (n = 7,875) of neurologically expressed disorders (NED) in ruminants before the onset of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic (years studied, 1980 to 1997) was carried out in Belgium. The archives of all veterinary laboratories and rabies and transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) epidemiosurveillance networks were consulted. For all species, a significantly higher number of NED with virological causes (rabies) was reported south of the Sa...

  2. The PRNP gene polymorphism in Rough-coated Pomeranian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Prion protein (PrP) is a membrane glycoprotein whose abnormal form is believed to cause a group of disorders known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which affect the brain and nervous system of both human beings and animals. The most familiar TSEs are Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in human ...

  3. Sheep-passaged bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent exhibits altered pathobiological properties in bovine-PrP transgenic mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Espinosa, J.C.; Andreoletti, O.; Castilla, J.; Herva, M.E.; Morales, M.; Alamillo, E.; San-Segundo, F.D.; Lacroux, C.; Lugan, S.; Salguero, F.J.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Torres, J.M.

    2007-01-01

    Sheep can be experimentally infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and the ensuing disease is similar to scrapie in terms of pathogenesis and clinical signs. BSE infection in sheep is an animal and human health concern. In this study, the transmission in BoPrP-Tg110 mice of prions

  4. Control methods for cattle feedstuffs aimed at prevention of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nešić Ksenija

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available In the course of the last decades of the twentieth century, more than 30 new diseases were determined for the first time in history. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow disease" is one of them. The disease implies the subacute neurodegenerative transmission of spongiform encephalopathy and it was diagnosed and described for the first time in Great Britain in 1986. A theory has been established that BSE is spread through feedstuffs, more precisely, meat-bone flour which contains infective proteins of ruminants, and legislature has been passed throughout the world with the objective of preventing the entry of meat-bone flour into the food chain. The complete ban of the use of meat-bone flour for all farm animals (with the exception of fish flour for non-ruminants and an adequate thermal treatment in the production of meat-bone flour (133ºC, 3 bar, 20 min are the elements on which the European Union (EU legislature is based. The regulations in our country include a ban on the use of meat-bone flour in cattle feedstuffs and a ban on imports of beef proteins. The implementation of this legislature throughout the world requires the corresponding analytical means. At the present time, there are several available possibilities: optic microscopy, PCR, immunoprobes, spectroscopic methods, and several others which are still being examined for use for this purpose. All the analytical methods are being applied with the objective of controlling the implementation of the current regulations, but also in order to discover possible cross contamination that could take place in factories of animal feedstuffs, during transportation, storage, or on farms, in particular when there are no separate lines for feedstuffs that contains meat-bone flour and others in which even its traces are banned. In order to secure the successful control and prevention of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in our country, as well as to secure the unhindered continuation of

  5. [Human transmissible subacute spongiform encephalopathy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dormont, D

    1994-05-01

    Human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) are rare chronic subacute degenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) which include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Kuru, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS), and Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI). CJD can be either inherited or sporadic. All these diseases are always fatal. Neuropathological features are mainly constituted of neuronal vacuolisation, neuronal death, gliosis with hyperastrocytosis; plaques might be evidenced in kuru and GSS. Neither inflammatory syndrome nor demyelination is detectable. No virus like structure could be identified reproducibly. Human TSE are transmissible to non human primates and rodents. Iatrogenic CJD have been described after tissue grafting (cornea, dura mater), neurosurgery, electrophysiology investigation, and treatment with pituitary derived gonadotrophins and growth hormone. Molecular biochemistry of the CNS investigation revealed that a host encoded protein, the prion protein (PrP), accumulates proportionally to the infectious titer: this abnormality is the only detectable hallmark in TSE. Infectious fractions contain no detectable specific nucleic acid, and are mainly constituted of PrP under an isoform which resists to proteinase K digestion (PrP-res). The PrP gene (PRNP) is located on chromosome 20 in humans. Several mutations of this gene have been described in all inherited TSE (CJD, GSS, and IFF). No treatment is available today. Agents inducing TSE (TSA) are not known: several authors claim that TSA are only constituted of PrP-res; others support the hypothesis of a conventional agent with a specific genetic information.

  6. Detection of PrP(Sc) in peripheral tissues of clinically affected cattle after oral challenge with bovine spongiform encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal neurodegenerative prion disease that affects cattle and can be transmitted to human beings as new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). A protease-resistant, disease-associated isoform of the prion protein (PrP**Sc) accumulates in the central ner...

  7. Use of bovine recombinant prion protein and real-time quaking-induced conversion to detect transmissible mink encephalopathy prions and discriminate classical and atypical L- and H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prions are amyloid-forming proteins that cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies through a process involving conversion from normal cellular prion protein to pathogenic misfolded conformation. This conversion has been used for in vitro assays including serial protein misfolding amplification...

  8. Classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy by Transmission of H-Type Prion in Homologous Prion Protein Context

    OpenAIRE

    Torres, Juan-María; Andréoletti, Olivier; Lacroux, Caroline; Prieto, Irene; Lorenzo, Patricia; Larska, Magdalena; Baron, Thierry; Espinosa, Juan-Carlos

    2011-01-01

    Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and BSErelated disorders have been associated with a single major prion strain. Recently, 2 atypical, presumably sporadic forms of BSE have been associated with 2 distinct prion strains that are characterized mainly by distinct Western blot profi les of abnormal protease-resistant prion protein (PrPres), named high-type (BSE-H) and low-type (BSE-L), that also differed from classical BSE. We characterized 5 atypical BSE-H isolates by analyzing their molec...

  9. Enhanced detection of infectious prions by direct ELISA from the brains of asymptomatic animals using DRM2-118 monoclonal antibody and Gdn-HCl

    Science.gov (United States)

    In this report we describe improved methods for the detection of infectious prions by immunoassay for the diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) from asymptomatic animals. Tissue samples obtained as part of ongoing TSE surveillance efforts are often unsuitable for histopathol...

  10. Mapping of possible prion protein self interaction domains using peptide arrays

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rigter, A.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Timmers-Parohi, D.; Jacobs, J.G.; Moonen, P.L.J.M.; Bossers, A.

    2007-01-01

    Background The common event in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases is the conversion of host-encoded protease sensitive cellular prion protein (PrPC) into strain dependent isoforms of scrapie associated protease resistant isoform (PrPSc) of prion protein (PrP). These

  11. Heparan sulfate proteoglycan is associated with amyloid plaques and neuroanatomically targeted PrP pathology throughout the incubation period of scrapie-infected mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    McBride, P. A.; Wilson, M. I.; Eikelenboom, P.; Tunstall, A.; Bruce, M. E.

    1998-01-01

    Heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) has been found to be associated with amyloid deposits in a number of diseases including the cerebral amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease and the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). The role of HSPG in amyloid formation and the neurodegenerative

  12. The structural core of prion disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boshuizen, R.S.

    2010-01-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are serious neurological ailments, in which the brain tissue deteriorates by progressive loss of brain cells which results in the loss of a wide variety of brain functions, including memory, speech and locomotion. Similar conditions

  13. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and spatial analysis of the feed industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, Mathilde; Abrial, David; Jarrige, Nathalie; Rican, Stéphane; Garrido, Myriam; Calavas, Didier; Ducrot, Christian

    2007-06-01

    In France, despite the ban of meat-and-bone meal (MBM) in cattle feed, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was detected in hundreds of cattle born after the ban. To study the role of MBM, animal fat, and dicalcium phosphate on the risk for BSE after the feed ban, we conducted a spatial analysis of the feed industry. We used data from 629 BSE cases as well as data on use of each byproduct and market area of the feed factories. We mapped risk for BSE in 951 areas supplied by the same factories and connection with use of byproducts. A disease map of BSE with covariates was built with the hierarchical Bayesian modeling methods, based on Poisson distribution with spatial smoothing. Only use of MBM was spatially linked to risk for BSE, which highlights cross-contamination as the most probable source of infection after the feed ban.

  14. Amidation and structure relaxation abolish the neurotoxicity of the prion peptide PrP106-126 in vivo and in vitro

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bergstrøm, Linda Alice; Hvass, Henriette Cordes; Zsurger, N.

    2005-01-01

    One of the major pathological hallmarks of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) is the accumulation of a pathogenic (scrapie) isoform (PrPSc) of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) primarily in the central nervous system. The synthetic prion peptide PrP106-126 shares many characteristics...

  15. Epidemiological analysis of data for scrapie in Great Britain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hagenaars, T.H.J.; Donnelly, C.; Ferguson, N.M.

    2006-01-01

    In recent years, the control or eradication of scrapie and any other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) possibly circulating in the sheep population has become a priority in Britain and elsewhere in Europe. A better understanding of the epidemiology of scrapie would greatly aid the

  16. Pathogenesis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Keulen, L J M; Vromans, M E W; Dolstra, C H; Bossers, A; van Zijderveld, F G

    2008-01-01

    The pathogenesis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in sheep was studied by immunohistochemical detection of scrapie-associated prion protein (PrP(Sc)) in the gastrointestinal, lymphoid and neural tissues following oral inoculation with BSE brain homogenate. First accumulation of PrP(Sc) was detected after 6 months in the tonsil and the ileal Peyer's patches. At 9 months postinfection, PrP(Sc) accumulation involved all gut-associated lymphoid tissues and lymph nodes as well as the spleen. At this time point, PrP(Sc) accumulation in the peripheral neural tissues was first seen in the enteric nervous system of the caudal jejunum and ileum and in the coeliac-mesenteric ganglion. In the central nervous system, PrP(Sc) was first detected in the dorsal motor nucleus of the nervus Vagus in the medulla oblongata and in the intermediolateral column in the spinal cord segments T7-L1. At subsequent time points, PrP(Sc) was seen to spread within the lymphoid system to also involve all non-gut-associated lymphoid tissues. In the enteric nervous system, further spread of PrP(Sc) involved the neural plexi along the entire gastrointestinal tract and in the CNS the complete neuraxis. These findings indicate a spread of the BSE agent in sheep from the enteric nervous system through parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves to the medulla oblongata and the spinal cord.

  17. PrPCWD lymphoid cell targets in early and advanced chronic wasting disease of mule deer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sigurdson, C.J.; Barillas-Mury, C.; Miller, M.W.; Oesch, B.; Keulen, van L.J.M.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Hoover, E.A.

    2002-01-01

    Up to 15% of free-ranging mule deer in northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming, USA, are afflicted with a prion disease, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), known as chronic wasting disease (CWD). CWD is similar to a subset of TSEs including scrapie and variant Creutzfeldt¿Jakob

  18. Animal feed controls implemented in Japan for the eradication of bovine spongiform encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katsuaki Sugiura

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available After the detection of the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE in Japan in September 2001, the Japanese government introduced a series of animal feed control measures to reduce the risk of the spread of the disease from a feed source. To ensure the proper implementation of these measures, the Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Centre conducted audit inspections of feed importers, producers, distributors and end-users. The audit inspections include on-site inspection of the feed plants, warehouses, farms and other related premises and the laboratory analysis of feed samples taken from these premises to check for the presence of animal protein. The results of inspections conducted in recent years indicate good compliance with the feed control measures.

  19. Evaluation of the effectiveness of selected measures against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Switzerland by use of the basic reproduction ratio R0

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schwermer, H.; Brülisauer, F.; Koeijer, de A.A.; Heim, D.

    2007-01-01

    The effectiveness of two measures against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), the compulsory processing of animal by products to meat and bone mea (MBM) at 133 °C under 3 bars of pressure for 20 minutes in February 1993 and the exclusion offallen stock, heads with eyes and spinal cord of cattle

  20. Effect of Q211 and K222 PRNP polymorphic variants in the susceptibility of goats to oral infections with Goat Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aguilar-Calvo, Patricia; Fast, C.; Tauscher, Kerstin; Espinosa, J.C.; Groschup, M.H.; Muhammad, Nadeem; Goldmann, W.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Bossers, A.; Andreoletti, O.

    2015-01-01

    Background. The prion protein-encoding gene (PRNP) is one of the major determinants for scrapie occurrence in sheep and goats. However, its effect on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) transmission to goats is not clear.

    Methods. Goats harboring wild-type, R/Q211 or Q/K222 PRNP

  1. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: the effect of oral exposure dose on attack rate and incubation period in cattle ? an update

    OpenAIRE

    Konold, Timm; Arnold, Mark E; Austin, Anthony R; Cawthraw, Saira; Hawkins, Steve AC; Stack, Michael J; Simmons, Marion M; Sayers, A Robin; Dawson, Michael; Wilesmith, John W; Wells, Gerald AH

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background To provide information on dose–response and aid in modelling the exposure dynamics of the BSE epidemic in the United Kingdom groups of cattle were exposed orally to a range of different doses of brainstem homogenate of known infectious titre from clinical cases of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Interim data from this study was published in 2007. This communication documents additional BSE cases, which occurred subsequently, examines possible influence of...

  2. Survey of laboratory findings in suspected cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Denmark from 1990 to 2000

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Agerholm, J.S.; Tegtmeier, C.L.; Nielsen, T.K.

    2002-01-01

    A survey of the laboratory findings in suspected cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Denmark from I June 1990 to '31 December 2000 is presented. During this period BSE was a notifiable disease, and the heads of suspected cases were submitted according to the legislation on BSE....... A total of 176 submissions were made, mostly from bovines with neurological disorders and mainly during the last 3 years of this period. Lesions or other laboratory findings consistent with severe neurological disorders were found in 115 cases. The most frequent diagnosis was encephalic 41 p listeriosis...

  3. An alarming presentation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease following a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harnish, Carissa; Gross, Brian; Rittenhouse, Katelyn; Bupp, Katherine; Vellucci, Ashley; Anderson, Jeffrey; Riley, Deborah; Rogers, Frederick B

    2015-05-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), also known as prion diseases, are characterized by rapid and fatal neurological decline. They not only detrimentally affect the patient, but also present additional challenges to healthcare systems due to the infectivity of the tissues and the difficulty of inactivating the prion. The most common TSE is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which can occur after familial, spontaneous or acquired transmission. TSEs received more attention after the development of variant CJD (vCJD), also known as Mad Cow Disease, in the UK during the mid-1990s. Unlike familial or spontaneous CJD, this variant was connected to consumption of cattle contaminated with the prion disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy.This development increased interest in the etiology of CJD and other TSEs and the risk it presents as an infectious disease. The following details the case of a 59-year-old male infected with CJD presented to our level II trauma center for treatment following a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Use of bovine recombinant prion protein and real-time quaking-induced conversion to detect cattle transmissible mink encephalopathy prions and discriminate classical and atypical L- and H-Type bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Soyoun; Greenlee, Justin J; Nicholson, Eric M

    2017-01-01

    Prions are amyloid-forming proteins that cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies through a process involving conversion from the normal cellular prion protein to the pathogenic misfolded conformation (PrPSc). This conversion has been used for in vitro assays including serial protein misfolding amplification and real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC). RT-QuIC can be used for the detection of prions in a variety of biological tissues from humans and animals. Extensive work has been done to demonstrate that RT-QuIC is a rapid, specific, and highly sensitive prion detection assay. RT-QuIC uses recombinant prion protein to detect minute amounts of PrPSc. RT-QuIC has been successfully used to detect PrPSc from different prion diseases with a variety of substrates including hamster, human, sheep, bank vole, bovine and chimeric forms of prion protein. However, recombinant bovine prion protein has not been used to detect transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) or to differentiate types of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in samples from cattle. We evaluated whether PrPSc from TME and BSE infected cattle can be detected with RT-QuIC using recombinant bovine prion proteins, and optimized the reaction conditions to specifically detect cattle TME and to discriminate between classical and atypical BSE by conversion efficiency. We also found that substrate composed of the disease associated E211K mutant protein can be effective for the detection of TME in cattle and that wild type prion protein appears to be a practical substrate to discriminate between the different types of BSEs.

  5. Trends in scientific activity addressing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies: a bibliometric study covering the period 1973–2002

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iribarren-Maestro Isabel

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to analyse the trends in scientific research on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies by applying bibliometric tools to the scientific literature published between 1973 and 2002. Methods The data for the study were obtained from Medline database, in order to determine the volume of scientific output in the above period, the countries involved, the type of document and the trends in the subject matters addressed. The period 1973–2002 was divided in three sub-periods. Results We observed a significant growth in scientific production. The percentage of increase is 871.7 from 1973 to 2002. This is more evident since 1991 and particularly in the 1996–2001 period. The countries found to have the highest output were the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France and Germany. The evolution in the subject matters was almost constant in the three sub-periods in which the study was divided. In the first and second sub-periods, the subject matters of greatest interest were more general, i.e Nervous system or Nervous system diseases, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Scrapie, and Chemicals and Drugs, but in the last sub-period, some changes were observed because the Prion-related matters had the greatest presence. Collaboration among authors is small from 1973 to 1992, but increases notably in the third sub-period, and also the number of authors and clusters formed. Some of the authors, like Gajdusek or Prusiner, appear in the whole period. Conclusion The study reveals a very high increase in scientific production. It is related also with the beginnings of research on bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, with the establishment of progressive collaboration relationships and a reflection of public health concerns about this problem.

  6. A comparison of classical and H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism in wild type and EK211 cattle following intracranial inoculation

    Science.gov (United States)

    In 2006, a case of H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE-H) was diagnosed in a cow that was associated with a heritable polymorphism in the bovine prion protein gene (PRNP) resulting in a lysine for glutamine amino acid substitution at codon 211 (called E211K) of the prion protein. Although t...

  7. H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism: clinical and pathologic features in wild-type and E211K cattle following intracranial inoculation

    Science.gov (United States)

    In 2006 an H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) case was reported in an animal with an unusual polymorphism (E211K) in the prion protein gene. Although the prevalence of this polymorphism is low, cattle carrying the K211 allele are predisposed to rapid onset of H-type BSE when exposed. The ...

  8. Toward unfolding the prion misfolding mystery: protein free radical chemistry in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Chiming

    2003-01-01

    Owing to the high oxygen-respiration in the brain of mammals, oxidative damage to prion protein has been suggested to be an additional factor. A large body of intriguing features of scrapie and prion diseases have provided multiple lines of indirect chemistry evidence, suggesting that the infectious agents may be putative forms of sequence-specific prion radicals (SSPR) and/or their immediate precursors in the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE). Here a molecular mechanism corresponding to the self-replication of scrapie protein mediated by prion free-radical processes, consonant with 'protein-only' hypotheses is proposed. This new theory may not only aid our understanding of the occurrence of prions, but also provides new insight into the possible chemistry principles underlying the neutrodegenerative disorders. It is anticipated that future studies based on this suggestion and chemistry principles of genetic diseases may allow us to determine an effective approach to stop mad cow disease and its human version, new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (v CJD)

  9. Guinea Pig Prion Protein Supports Rapid Propagation of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Prions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watts, Joel C; Giles, Kurt; Saltzberg, Daniel J; Dugger, Brittany N; Patel, Smita; Oehler, Abby; Bhardwaj, Sumita; Sali, Andrej; Prusiner, Stanley B

    2016-11-01

    The biochemical and neuropathological properties of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) prions are faithfully maintained upon transmission to guinea pigs. However, primary and secondary transmissions of BSE and vCJD in guinea pigs result in long incubation periods of ∼450 and ∼350 days, respectively. To determine if the incubation periods of BSE and vCJD prions could be shortened, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice expressing guinea pig prion protein (GPPrP). Inoculation of Tg(GPPrP) mice with BSE and vCJD prions resulted in mean incubation periods of 210 and 199 days, respectively, which shortened to 137 and 122 days upon serial transmission. In contrast, three different isolates of sporadic CJD prions failed to transmit disease to Tg(GPPrP) mice. Many of the strain-specified biochemical and neuropathological properties of BSE and vCJD prions, including the presence of type 2 protease-resistant PrP Sc , were preserved upon propagation in Tg(GPPrP) mice. Structural modeling revealed that two residues near the N-terminal region of α-helix 1 in GPPrP might mediate its susceptibility to BSE and vCJD prions. Our results demonstrate that expression of GPPrP in Tg mice supports the rapid propagation of BSE and vCJD prions and suggest that Tg(GPPrP) mice may serve as a useful paradigm for bioassaying these prion isolates. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions are two of the prion strains most relevant to human health. However, propagating these strains in mice expressing human or bovine prion protein has been difficult because of prolonged incubation periods or inefficient transmission. Here, we show that transgenic mice expressing guinea pig prion protein are fully susceptible to vCJD and BSE prions but not to sporadic CJD prions. Our results suggest that the guinea pig prion protein is a better, more rapid substrate than either bovine or human prion protein for

  10. Classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy by Transmission of H-Type Prion in Homologous Prion Protein Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andréoletti, Olivier; Lacroux, Caroline; Prieto, Irene; Lorenzo, Patricia; Larska, Magdalena; Baron, Thierry; Espinosa, Juan-Carlos

    2011-01-01

    Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and BSE-related disorders have been associated with a single major prion strain. Recently, 2 atypical, presumably sporadic forms of BSE have been associated with 2 distinct prion strains that are characterized mainly by distinct Western blot profiles of abnormal protease-resistant prion protein (PrPres), named high-type (BSE-H) and low-type (BSE-L), that also differed from classical BSE. We characterized 5 atypical BSE-H isolates by analyzing their molecular and neuropathologic properties during transmission in transgenic mice expressing homologous bovine prion protein. Unexpectedly, in several inoculated animals, strain features emerged that were highly similar to those of classical BSE agent. These findings demonstrate the capability of an atypical bovine prion to acquire classical BSE–like properties during propagation in a homologous bovine prion protein context and support the view that the epidemic BSE agent could have originated from such a cattle prion. PMID:21888788

  11. Human transmissible spongiform encephalopathy: Case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duque Velásquez, Camilo

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available We report the case of a 64 year-old woman with motor and cognitive deterioration that progressed rapidly during eight months. She was unsuccessfully treated with quinacrine, and died in a terminal status, by septic shock secondary to bronchopneumonia by broncho-aspiration. The brain was donated for research and the histopathological analysis showed spongiform changes, astrogliosis and prion protein (PrPRes deposits, confirmed by Western blot (WB. These features are considered characteristic of prion diseases, which are uncommon in Colombia. We highlight that its diagnosis was made for the first time in this country by the simultaneous use of immunohistochemistry and Western blot.

  12. Evaluation of the zoonotic potential of transmissible mink encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Successful transmission of Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy (TME) to cattle supports the bovine hypothesis to the still controversial origin of TME outbreaks. Human and primate susceptibility to classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (c-BSE) and the transmissibility of L-type BSE to macaques as...

  13. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: is it time to relax BSE-related measures in the context of international trade?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthews, D; Adkin, A

    2011-04-01

    Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has presented serious challenges to both the World Organisation for Animal Health and national governments, in defining and implementing appropriate national control measures, and in agreeing trade rules that permit safe trade in cattle and bovine products. Precautionary trade rules were initially necessary, based upon the science of sheep scrapie, but research into BSE later enabled BSE-specific trade rules to be developed. As a result, current rules on trade are underpinned by a sound body of knowledge on BSE. Declining epidemics in most affected countries confirm the appropriateness of current precautions. Nevertheless, risk is primarily dependent on the prevalence of infection with BSE. In the face of low prevalence scenarios, certain precautionary measures in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code may now be considered excessive. A thorough review is therefore deemed appropriate.

  14. Quantitative analysis of wet-heat inactivation in bovine spongiform encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuura, Yuichi; Ishikawa, Yukiko; Bo, Xiao; Murayama, Yuichi; Yokoyama, Takashi; Somerville, Robert A.; Kitamoto, Tetsuyuki; Mohri, Shirou

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► We quantitatively analyzed wet-heat inactivation of the BSE agent. ► Infectivity of the BSE macerate did not survive 155 °C wet-heat treatment. ► Once the sample was dehydrated, infectivity was observed even at 170 °C. ► A quantitative PMCA assay was used to evaluate the degree of BSE inactivation. - Abstract: The bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent is resistant to conventional microbial inactivation procedures and thus threatens the safety of cattle products and by-products. To obtain information necessary to assess BSE inactivation, we performed quantitative analysis of wet-heat inactivation of infectivity in BSE-infected cattle spinal cords. Using a highly sensitive bioassay, we found that infectivity in BSE cattle macerates fell with increase in temperatures from 133 °C to 150 °C and was not detected in the samples subjected to temperatures above 155 °C. In dry cattle tissues, infectivity was detected even at 170 °C. Thus, BSE infectivity reduces with increase in wet-heat temperatures but is less affected when tissues are dehydrated prior to the wet-heat treatment. The results of the quantitative protein misfolding cyclic amplification assay also demonstrated that the level of the protease-resistant prion protein fell below the bioassay detection limit by wet-heat at 155 °C and higher and could help assess BSE inactivation. Our results show that BSE infectivity is strongly resistant to wet-heat inactivation and that it is necessary to pay attention to BSE decontamination in recycled cattle by-products

  15. Quantitative analysis of wet-heat inactivation in bovine spongiform encephalopathy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsuura, Yuichi; Ishikawa, Yukiko; Bo, Xiao; Murayama, Yuichi; Yokoyama, Takashi [Prion Disease Research Center, National Institute of Animal Health, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856 (Japan); Somerville, Robert A. [The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS (United Kingdom); Kitamoto, Tetsuyuki [Division of CJD Science and Technology, Department of Prion Research, Center for Translational and Advanced Animal Research on Human Diseases, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo, Aoba, Sendai 980-8575 (Japan); Mohri, Shirou, E-mail: shirou@affrc.go.jp [Prion Disease Research Center, National Institute of Animal Health, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856 (Japan)

    2013-03-01

    Highlights: ► We quantitatively analyzed wet-heat inactivation of the BSE agent. ► Infectivity of the BSE macerate did not survive 155 °C wet-heat treatment. ► Once the sample was dehydrated, infectivity was observed even at 170 °C. ► A quantitative PMCA assay was used to evaluate the degree of BSE inactivation. - Abstract: The bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent is resistant to conventional microbial inactivation procedures and thus threatens the safety of cattle products and by-products. To obtain information necessary to assess BSE inactivation, we performed quantitative analysis of wet-heat inactivation of infectivity in BSE-infected cattle spinal cords. Using a highly sensitive bioassay, we found that infectivity in BSE cattle macerates fell with increase in temperatures from 133 °C to 150 °C and was not detected in the samples subjected to temperatures above 155 °C. In dry cattle tissues, infectivity was detected even at 170 °C. Thus, BSE infectivity reduces with increase in wet-heat temperatures but is less affected when tissues are dehydrated prior to the wet-heat treatment. The results of the quantitative protein misfolding cyclic amplification assay also demonstrated that the level of the protease-resistant prion protein fell below the bioassay detection limit by wet-heat at 155 °C and higher and could help assess BSE inactivation. Our results show that BSE infectivity is strongly resistant to wet-heat inactivation and that it is necessary to pay attention to BSE decontamination in recycled cattle by-products.

  16. Effect of autolysis on the specificity of bovine spongiform encephalopathy rapid tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caramelli Maria

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Routine rapid testing for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE has highlighted some problems with BSE rapid test performance, the most significant being the number of initially reactive samples and the false positive results on autolyzed tissue. This point is important for BSE active surveillance in risk populations, because tissue autolysis is often unavoidable in routine cases. A robust test suitable for use on field material is therefore needed. To date, very limited information regarding the effect of autolysis on the robustness of rapid tests has been documented; therefore, the National Reference Centre for Animal Encephalopathies (CEA rapid test laboratory selected 450 autolyzed and negative brain stem samples from fallen stock bovines older than 24 months to assess the specificity of four tests approved for BSE active surveillance: Biorad TeSeE, Enfer TSE version 2.0, Prionics® Check LIA, and IDEXX Herd Check BSE Antigen Kit EIA. The samples were graded according to the degree of autolysis and then dissected into five portions, four of which randomly assigned to processing by rapid tests and one to be available for confirmatory Western blot analysis. Findings The specificity of the four systems was 100% for all three grades of autolysis, while the percentage of initially reactive results was 0.00 (95%CI 0.00-0.82, 0.22 (95%CI 0.006-1.23, 0.44 (95%CI 0.05-1.60, and 0.89 (95%CI 0.24-2.26 for the Biorad TeSeE, the Prionics® Check LIA, the IDEXX Herd Check BSE and the Enfer TSE tests, respectively. No association with the degree of autolysis could be drawn. Conclusions The present study demonstrates that the four rapid tests can be considered well-running diagnostic tools regardless of tissue quality; nevertheless, the number of initial reactive samples reported for some systems must not be underestimated in routine testing. Furthermore the compliance with the reported performance can be guaranteed only when an ongoing

  17. Sheep Feed and Scrapie, France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philippe, Sandrine; Ducrot, Christian; Roy, Pascal; Remontet, Laurent; Jarrige, Nathalie

    2005-01-01

    Scrapie is a small ruminant, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). Although in the past scrapie has not been considered a zoonosis, the emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, transmissible to humans and experimentally to sheep, indicates that risk exists for small ruminant TSEs in humans. To identify the risk factors for introducing scrapie into sheep flocks, a case-control study was conducted in France from 1999 to 2000. Ninety-four case and 350 control flocks were matched by location and main breed. Three main hypotheses were tested: direct contact between flocks, indirect environmental contact, and foodborne risk. Statistical analysis was performed by using adjusted generalized linear models with the complementary log-log link function, considering flock size as an offset. A notable effect of using proprietary concentrates and milk replacers was observed. The risk was heterogeneous among feed factories. Contacts between flocks were not shown to be a risk factor. PMID:16102318

  18. Experimental Infection of Cattle With a Novel Prion Derived From Atypical H-Type Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okada, Hiroyuki; Masujin, Kentaro; Miyazawa, Kohtaro; Iwamaru, Yoshihumi; Imamura, Morikazu; Matsuura, Yuichi; Arai, Shozo; Fukuda, Shigeo; Murayama, Yuichi; Yokoyama, Takashi

    2017-11-01

    H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (H-BSE) is an atypical form of BSE in cattle. During passaging of H-BSE in transgenic bovinized (TgBoPrP) mice, a novel phenotype of BSE, termed BSE-SW emerged and was characterized by a short incubation time and host weight loss. To investigate the biological and biochemical properties of the BSE-SW prion, a transmission study was conducted in cattle, which were inoculated intracerebrally with brain homogenate from BSE-SW-infected TgBoPrP mice. The disease incubation period was approximately 15 months. The animals showed characteristic neurological signs of dullness, and severe spongiform changes and a widespread, uniform distribution of disease-associated prion protein (PrP Sc ) were observed throughout the brain of infected cattle. Immunohistochemical PrP Sc staining of the brain revealed the presence of intraglial accumulations and plaque-like deposits. No remarkable differences were identified in vacuolar lesion scores, topographical distribution patterns, and staining types of PrP Sc in the brains of BSE-SW- vs H-BSE-infected cattle. PrP Sc deposition was detected in the ganglia, vagus nerve, spinal nerve, cauda equina, adrenal medulla, and ocular muscle. Western blot analysis revealed that the specific biochemical properties of the BSE-SW prion, with an additional 10- to 12-kDa fragment, were well maintained after transmission. These findings indicated that the BSE-SW prion has biochemical properties distinct from those of H-BSE in cattle, although clinical and pathologic features of BSW-SW in cattle are indistinguishable from those of H-BSE. The results suggest that the 2 infectious agents, BSE-SW and H-BSE, are closely related strains.

  19. Infectivity in skeletal muscle of cattle with atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suardi, Silvia; Vimercati, Chiara; Casalone, Cristina; Gelmetti, Daniela; Corona, Cristiano; Iulini, Barbara; Mazza, Maria; Lombardi, Guerino; Moda, Fabio; Ruggerone, Margherita; Campagnani, Ilaria; Piccoli, Elena; Catania, Marcella; Groschup, Martin H; Balkema-Buschmann, Anne; Caramelli, Maria; Monaco, Salvatore; Zanusso, Gianluigi; Tagliavini, Fabrizio

    2012-01-01

    The amyloidotic form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) termed BASE is caused by a prion strain whose biological properties differ from those of typical BSE, resulting in a clinically and pathologically distinct phenotype. Whether peripheral tissues of BASE-affected cattle contain infectivity is unknown. This is a critical issue since the BASE prion is readily transmissible to a variety of hosts including primates, suggesting that humans may be susceptible. We carried out bioassays in transgenic mice overexpressing bovine PrP (Tgbov XV) and found infectivity in a variety of skeletal muscles from cattle with natural and experimental BASE. Noteworthy, all BASE muscles used for inoculation transmitted disease, although the attack rate differed between experimental and natural cases (∼70% versus ∼10%, respectively). This difference was likely related to different prion titers, possibly due to different stages of disease in the two conditions, i.e. terminal stage in experimental BASE and pre-symptomatic stage in natural BASE. The neuropathological phenotype and PrP(res) type were consistent in all affected mice and matched those of Tgbov XV mice infected with brain homogenate from natural BASE. The immunohistochemical analysis of skeletal muscles from cattle with natural and experimental BASE showed the presence of abnormal prion protein deposits within muscle fibers. Conversely, Tgbov XV mice challenged with lymphoid tissue and kidney from natural and experimental BASE did not develop disease. The novel information on the neuromuscular tropism of the BASE strain, efficiently overcoming species barriers, underlines the relevance of maintaining an active surveillance.

  20. Kuru

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... type to also change shape. Other TSEs include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and fatal familial insomnia in humans, bovine spongiform ... type to also change shape. Other TSEs include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and fatal familial insomnia in humans, bovine spongiform ...

  1. Intraperitoneal Infection of Wild-Type Mice with Synthetically Generated Mammalian Prion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinhe Wang

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The prion hypothesis postulates that the infectious agent in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs is an unorthodox protein conformation based agent. Recent successes in generating mammalian prions in vitro with bacterially expressed recombinant prion protein provide strong support for the hypothesis. However, whether the pathogenic properties of synthetically generated prion (rec-Prion recapitulate those of naturally occurring prions remains unresolved. Using end-point titration assay, we showed that the in vitro prepared rec-Prions have infectious titers of around 104 LD50/μg. In addition, intraperitoneal (i.p. inoculation of wild-type mice with rec-Prion caused prion disease with an average survival time of 210-220 days post inoculation. Detailed pathological analyses revealed that the nature of rec-Prion induced lesions, including spongiform change, disease specific prion protein accumulation (PrP-d and the PrP-d dissemination amongst lymphoid and peripheral nervous system tissues, the route and mechanisms of neuroinvasion were all typical of classical rodent prions. Our results revealed that, similar to naturally occurring prions, the rec-Prion has a titratable infectivity and is capable of causing prion disease via routes other than direct intra-cerebral challenge. More importantly, our results established that the rec-Prion caused disease is pathogenically and pathologically identical to naturally occurring contagious TSEs, supporting the concept that a conformationally altered protein agent is responsible for the infectivity in TSEs.

  2. Identification of PrP sequences essential for the interaction between the PrP polymers and Aβ peptide in a yeast-based assay

    OpenAIRE

    Rubel, Aleksandr A; Ryzhova, Tatyana A; Antonets, Kirill S; Chernoff, Yury O; Galkin, Alexey P

    2013-01-01

    Alzheimer disease is associated with the accumulation of oligomeric amyloid β peptide (Aβ), accompanied by synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death. Polymeric form of prion protein (PrP), PrPSc, is implicated in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Recently, it was shown that the monomeric cellular form of PrP (PrPC), located on the neuron surface, binds Aβ oligomers (and possibly other β-rich conformers) via the PrP23–27 and PrP90–110 segments, acting as Aβ receptor. On the other...

  3. An overview of tests for animal tissues in feeds applied in response to public health concerns regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gizzi, G; van Raamsdonk, L W D; Baeten, V; Murray, I; Berben, G; Brambilla, G; von Holst, C

    2003-04-01

    Enforcing the ban on meat-and-bone meal in feed for farmed animals, and especially ruminants, is considered an important measure to prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The authors describe current analytical methods for the detection and identification of animal tissues in feed. In addition, recently approved requirements, such as the ban of intra-species recycling (practice of feeding an animal species with proteins derived from the bodies, or parts of bodies, of the same species) are described. In principle, four different approaches are currently applied, i.e. microscopic analysis, polymerase chain reaction, immunoassay analysis and near infrared spectroscopy or microscopy. The principal performance characteristics of these methods are presented and compared, and their specific advantages and disadvantages described. Special emphasis is also placed on the impact of rendering conditions, particularly high temperatures and on the use of molecular biology techniques.

  4. Protective Effect of Val129-PrP against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy but not Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Borges, Natalia; Espinosa, Juan Carlos; Marín-Moreno, Alba; Aguilar-Calvo, Patricia; Asante, Emmanuel A; Kitamoto, Tetsuyuki; Mohri, Shirou; Andréoletti, Olivier; Torres, Juan María

    2017-09-01

    Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is the only known zoonotic prion that causes variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans. The major risk determinant for this disease is the polymorphic codon 129 of the human prion protein (Hu-PrP), where either methionine (Met 129 ) or valine (Val 129 ) can be encoded. To date, all clinical and neuropathologically confirmed vCJD cases have been Met 129 homozygous, with the exception of 1 recently reported Met/Val heterozygous case. Here, we found that transgenic mice homozygous for Val 129 Hu-PrP show severely restricted propagation of the BSE prion strain, but this constraint can be partially overcome by adaptation of the BSE agent to the Met 129 Hu-PrP. In addition, the transmission of vCJD to transgenic mice homozygous for Val 129 Hu-PrP resulted in a prion with distinct strain features. These observations may indicate increased risk for vCJD secondary transmission in Val 129 Hu-PrP-positive humans with the emergence of new strain features.

  5. Population-level retrospective study of neurologically expressed disorders in ruminants before the onset of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Belgium, a BSE risk III country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saegerman, C; Berkvens, D; Claes, L; Dewaele, A; Coignoul, F; Ducatelle, R; Cassart, D; Brochier, B; Costy, F; Roels, S; Deluyker, H; Vanopdenbosch, E; Thiry, E

    2005-02-01

    A retrospective epidemiological study (n = 7,875) of neurologically expressed disorders (NED) in ruminants before the onset of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic (years studied, 1980 to 1997) was carried out in Belgium. The archives of all veterinary laboratories and rabies and transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) epidemiosurveillance networks were consulted. For all species, a significantly higher number of NED with virological causes (rabies) was reported south of the Sambre-Meuse Valley. During the period 1992 to 1997, for which the data were complete, (i) the predicted annual incidence of NED varied significantly as a function of species and area (higher numbers in areas where rabies was present) but was always above 100 cases per million, and (ii) the mean incidence of suspected TSE cases and, among them, those investigated by histopathological examination varied significantly as a function of species and area. The positive predictive value of a presumptive clinical diagnosis of NED ranged from 0.13 (game) to 0.63 (sheep). Knowledge of the positive predictive value permits the definition of a reference point before certain actions (e.g., awareness and training campaigns) are undertaken. It also shows the usefulness of a systematic necropsy or complementary laboratory tests to establish an etiological diagnosis. TSE analysis of a small, targeted historical sampling (n = 48) permitted the confirmation of one case and uncovered another case of scrapie. The results of the present study help to develop and maintain the quality of the worldwide clinical epidemiological networks for TSE, especially in countries that in the past imported live animals, animal products, and feedstuffs from countries with TSE cases.

  6. Biosafety of Prions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bistaffa, Edoardo; Rossi, Martina; De Luca, Chiara M G; Moda, Fabio

    2017-01-01

    Prions are the infectious agents that cause devastating and untreatable disorders known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). The pathologic events and the infectious nature of these transmissible agents are not completely understood yet. Due to the difficulties in inactivating prions, working with them requires specific recommendations and precautions. Moreover, with the advent of innovative technologies, such as the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and the Real Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), prions could be amplified in vitro and the infectious features of the amplified products need to be carefully assessed. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. The evolution of risk perceptions related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy--Canadian consumer and producer behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jun; Goddard, Ellen

    2011-01-01

    In this study the dynamics of risk perceptions related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) held by Canadian consumers and cow-calf producers were evaluated. Since the first domestic case of BSE in 2003, Canadian consumers and cow-calf producers have needed to make decisions on whether or not their purchasing/production behavior should change. Such changes in their behavior may relate to their levels of risk perceptions about BSE, risk perceptions that may be evolving over time and be affected by BSE media information available. An econometric analysis of the behavior of consumers and cow-calf producers might identify the impacts of evolving BSE risk perceptions. Risk perceptions related to BSE are evaluated through observed market behavior, an approach that differs from traditional stated preference approaches to eliciting risk perceptions at a particular point in time. BSE risk perceptions may be specified following a Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) derived from sociology, psychology, and economics. Based on the SARF, various quality and quantity indices related to BSE media information are used as explanatory variables in risk perception equations. Risk perceptions are approximated using a predictive difference approach as defined by Liu et al. (1998). Results showed that Canadian consumer and cow-calf producer risk perceptions related to BSE have been amplified or attenuated by both quantity and quality of BSE media information. Government policies on risk communications need to address the different roles of BSE information in Canadian consumers' and cow-calf producers' behavior.

  8. In-situ spectroscopic investigation of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies: application of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to a scrapie-hamster model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kneipp, Janina; Lasch, Peter; Beekes, Michael; Naumann, Dieter

    2002-03-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), such as BSE in cattle, scrapie in sheep and goats, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in man are a group of fatal infectious diseases of the central nervous system that are far from being fully understood. Presuming the pathological changes to originate from small disease-specific compositional and structural modifications at the molecular level, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy can be used to achieve insight into biochemical parameters underlying pathogenesis. We have developed an FTIR microspectroscopy-based strategy which, as a combination of image reconstruction and multivariate pattern recognition methods, permitted the comparison of identical substructures in the cerebellum of healthy and TSE-infected Syrian hamsters in the terminal stage of the disease. Here we present FTIR data about the pathological changes of scrapie-infected and normal tissue of the gray matter structures stratum granulosum and stratum moleculare. IR spectroscopy was also applied to tissue pieces of the medulla oblongata of infected and control Syrian hamsters. Mapping data were analyzed with cluster analysis and imaging methods. We found variations in the spectra of the infected tissue, which are due to changes in carbohydrates, nucleic acids, phospholipids, and proteins.

  9. Thermodynamic Stabilization of the Folded Domain of Prion Protein Inhibits Prion Infection in Vivo

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    Qingzhong Kong

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs, are associated with the conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein, PrPC, into a protease-resistant form, PrPSc. Here, we show that mutation-induced thermodynamic stabilization of the folded, α-helical domain of PrPC has a dramatic inhibitory effect on the conformational conversion of prion protein in vitro, as well as on the propagation of TSE disease in vivo. Transgenic mice expressing a human prion protein variant with increased thermodynamic stability were found to be much more resistant to infection with the TSE agent than those expressing wild-type human prion protein, in both the primary passage and three subsequent subpassages. These findings not only provide a line of evidence in support of the protein-only model of TSEs but also yield insight into the molecular nature of the PrPC→PrPSc conformational transition, and they suggest an approach to the treatment of prion diseases.

  10. Absence of Evidence for a Causal Link between Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Strain Variant L-BSE and Known Forms of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in Human PrP Transgenic Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaumain, Emilie; Quadrio, Isabelle; Herzog, Laetitia; Reine, Fabienne; Rezaei, Human; Andréoletti, Olivier; Laude, Hubert; Perret-Liaudet, Armand; Haïk, Stéphane; Béringue, Vincent

    2016-12-01

    Prions are proteinaceous pathogens responsible for subacute spongiform encephalopathies in animals and humans. The prions responsible for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are zoonotic agents, causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans. The transfer of prions between species is limited by a species barrier, which is thought to reflect structural incompatibilities between the host cellular prion protein (PrP C ) and the infecting pathological PrP assemblies (PrP Sc ) constituting the prion. A BSE strain variant, designated L-BSE and responsible for atypical, supposedly spontaneous forms of prion diseases in aged cattle, demonstrates zoonotic potential, as evidenced by its capacity to propagate more easily than classical BSE in transgenic mice expressing human PrP C and in nonhuman primates. In humanized mice, L-BSE propagates without any apparent species barrier and shares similar biochemical PrP Sc signatures with the CJD subtype designated MM2-cortical, thus opening the possibility that certain CJD cases classified as sporadic may actually originate from L-type BSE cross-transmission. To address this issue, we compared the biological properties of L-BSE and those of a panel of CJD subtypes representative of the human prion strain diversity using standard strain-typing criteria in human PrP transgenic mice. We found no evidence that L-BSE causes a known form of sporadic CJD. Since the quasi-extinction of classical BSE, atypical BSE forms are the sole BSE variants circulating in cattle worldwide. They are observed in rare cases of old cattle, making them difficult to detect. Extrapolation of our results suggests that L-BSE may propagate in humans as an unrecognized form of CJD, and we urge both the continued utilization of precautionary measures to eliminate these agents from the human food chain and active surveillance for CJD phenotypes in the general population. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  11. Immunohistochemical study of PrPSc distribution in neural and extraneural tissues of two cats with feline spongiform encephalopathy

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    Wunderlin Sabina S

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Two domestic shorthair cats presenting with progressive hind-limb ataxia and increased aggressiveness were necropsied and a post mortem diagnosis of Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy (FSE was made. A wide spectrum of tissue samples was collected and evaluated histologically and immunohistologically for the presence of PrPSc. Results Histopathological examination revealed a diffuse vacuolation of the grey matter neuropil with the following areas being most severely affected: corpus geniculatum medialis, thalamus, gyrus dentatus of the hippocampus, corpus striatum, and deep layers of the cerebral and cerebellar cortex as well as in the brain stem. In addition, a diffuse glial reaction involving astrocytes and microglia and intraneuronal vacuolation in a few neurons in the brain stem was present. Heavy PrPSc immunostaining was detected in brain, retina, optic nerve, pars nervosa of the pituitary gland, trigeminal ganglia and small amounts in the myenteric plexus of the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum and slightly in the medulla of the adrenal gland. Conclusion The PrPSc distribution within the brain was consistent with that described in other FSE-affected cats. The pattern of abnormal PrP in the retina corresponded to that found in a captive cheetah with FSE, in sheep with scrapie and was similar to nvCJD in humans.

  12. Protein nutrition for ruminants in European countries, in the light of animal feeding regulations linked to bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellier, P

    2003-04-01

    The outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and the discovery of the central role played by meat-and-bone meal (MBM) as the vehicle of infection resulted, from the late 1980s onwards, in the implementation of new regulations on the incorporation of animal proteins, and then of most fats of animal origin, into diets fed to ruminants and other farmed animals. The BSE-related feed ban, which has gradually been reinforced over time, has led to the investigation of cost-effective routes for adequately replacing MBM and tallow by new sources of dietary proteins, minerals and lipids in the formulation of manufactured concentrates. As far as the technical fulfilment of the nutritive requirements of growing and lactating ruminants is concerned, efficient alternative solutions, based principally on recourse to food materials from vegetals already exist or hopefully will soon be available in most of the situations prevailing in Europe. However, related aspects, such as animal feed-processing, availability and traceability of certain food materials, quality of animal products, environmental constraints or disposal of animal waste from the meat industry give cause for concern. The expected consequences of the BSE-related feeding regulations on the organisational and economic framework of animal and crop production sectors throughout Europe and at world level must also be evaluated.

  13. Studies of the transmissibility of the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to the domestic chicken

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    Moore Jo

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Transmission of the prion disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE occurred accidentally to cattle and several other mammalian species via feed supplemented with meat and bone meal contaminated with infected bovine tissue. Prior to United Kingdom controls in 1996 on the feeding of mammalian meat and bone meal to farmed animals, the domestic chicken was potentially exposed to feed contaminated with the causal agent of BSE. Although confirmed prion diseases are unrecorded in avian species a study was undertaken to transmit BSE to the domestic chicken by parenteral and oral inoculations. Transmissibility was assessed by clinical monitoring, histopathological examinations, detection of a putative disease form of an avian prion protein (PrP in recipient tissues and by mouse bioassay of tissues. Occurrence of a progressive neurological syndrome in the primary transmission study was investigated by sub-passage experiments. Results No clinical, pathological or bioassay evidence of transmission of BSE to the chicken was obtained in the primary or sub-passage experiments. Survival data showed no significant differences between control and treatment groups. Neurological signs observed, not previously described in the domestic chicken, were not associated with significant pathology. The diagnostic techniques applied failed to detect a disease associated form of PrP. Conclusion Important from a risk assessment perspective, the present study has established that the domestic chicken does not develop a prion disease after large parenteral exposures to the BSE agent or after oral exposures equivalent to previous exposures via commercial diets. Future investigations into the potential susceptibility of avian species to mammalian prion diseases require species-specific immunochemical techniques and more refined experimental models.

  14. Transmissibility of H-Type Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy to Hamster PrP Transgenic Mice.

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    Hiroyuki Okada

    Full Text Available Two distinct forms of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathies (H-BSE and L-BSE can be distinguished from classical (C- BSE found in cattle based on biochemical signatures of disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc. H-BSE is transmissible to wild-type mice-with infected mice showing a long survival period that is close to their normal lifespan-but not to hamsters. Therefore, rodent-adapted H-BSE with a short survival period would be useful for analyzing H-BSE characteristics. In this study, we investigated the transmissibility of H-BSE to hamster prion protein transgenic (TgHaNSE mice with long survival periods. Although none of the TgHaNSE mice manifested the disease during their lifespan, PrPSc accumulation was observed in some areas of the brain after the first passage. With subsequent passages, TgHaNSE mice developed the disease with a mean survival period of 220 days. The molecular characteristics of proteinase K-resistant PrPSc (PrPres in the brain were identical to those observed in first-passage mice. The distribution of immunolabeled PrPSc in the brains of TgHaNSE mice differed between those infected with H-BSE as compared to C-BSE or L-BSE, and the molecular properties of PrPres in TgHaNSE mice infected with H-BSE differed from those of the original isolate. The strain-specific electromobility, glycoform profiles, and proteolytic cleavage sites of H-BSE in TgHaNSE mice were indistinguishable from those of C-BSE, in which the diglycosylated form was predominant. These findings indicate that strain-specific pathogenic characteristics and molecular features of PrPres in the brain are altered during cross-species transmission. Typical H-BSE features were restored after back passage from TgHaNSE to bovinized transgenic mice, indicating that the H-BSE strain was propagated in TgHaNSE mice. This could result from the overexpression of the hamster prion protein.

  15. Reflections on a half-century in the field of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Paul

    2009-01-01

    The subject of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy may properly be said to have begun with the experimental transmission of scrapie by Cuillé and Chelle in 1936, although Creutzfeldt and Jakob had described the disease that bears their names in 1920-21. Thirty more years passed before the human disease was also shown to be transmissible, in 1966, and the following half century has seen the field move from classical biology to molecular biology and genetics, and from 'slow virus' to host-encoded 'prion' protein. Because nothing is more important to the research scientist than the process of seeing a problem and devising ways of solving it, and because we live and die by our publications, as much care should be given to these vehicles of our work and reputations as to the research itself. Four aspects have been chosen for comment: authorship, abbreviations, data presentation, and references. In addition to the 'science of research' there are several 'para-scientific' activities that may be categorized as 'the politics of research', which include administrative duties, committees (e.g., scientific meetings, grant organizations), journal/book editing, peer reviewing, and public relations Many young scientists are either unaware or dismissive of the importance of these 'scientific distractions', but their potential for influencing the direction of a field of research becomes increasingly evident as careers unfold. They are subject to uses and abuses, and some guidance and examples are given by way of illustration, particular attention being paid to the process of manuscript review which, because of its anonymity, is the most vulnerable to abuse. As public and government interest in prions wanes in parallel with the disappearance of iatrogenic and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the flow of money to sustain research is in evident jeopardy. With an uncertain future, it nevertheless seems possible that one of two things may breathe new life into the field: either

  16. Surveillance for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in scavengers of white-tailed deer carcasses in the chronic wasting disease area of wisconsin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jennelle, C.S.; Samuel, M.D.; Nolden, C.A.; Keane, D.P.; Barr, D.J.; Johnson, Chad; Vanderloo, J.P.; Aiken, Judd M.; Hamir, A.N.; Hoover, E.A.

    2009-01-01

    Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a class of neurodegenerative transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) occurring in cervids, is found in a number of states and provinces across North America. Misfolded prions, the infectious agents of CWD, are deposited in the environment via carcass remains and excreta, and pose a threat of cross-species transmission. In this study tissues were tested from 812 representative mammalian scavengers, collected in the CWD-affected area of Wisconsin, for TSE infection using the IDEXX HerdChek enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Only four of the collected mammals tested positive using the ELISA, but these were negative when tested by Western blot. While our sample sizes permitted high probabilities of detecting TSE assuming 1% population prevalence in several common scavengers (93%, 87%, and 87% for raccoons, opossums, and coyotes, respectively), insufficient sample sizes for other species precluded similar conclusions. One cannot rule out successful cross-species TSE transmission to scavengers, but the results suggest that such transmission is not frequent in the CWD-affected area of Wisconsin. The need for further surveillance of scavenger species, especially those known to be susceptible to TSE (e.g., cat, American mink, raccoon), is highlighted in both a field and laboratory setting.

  17. Distinct transmissibility features of TSE sources derived from ruminant prion diseases by the oral route in a transgenic mouse model (TgOvPrP4 overexpressing the ovine prion protein.

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    Jean-Noël Arsac

    Full Text Available Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases associated with a misfolded form of host-encoded prion protein (PrP. Some of them, such as classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle (BSE, transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME, kuru and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, are acquired by the oral route exposure to infected tissues. We investigated the possible transmission by the oral route of a panel of strains derived from ruminant prion diseases in a transgenic mouse model (TgOvPrP4 overexpressing the ovine prion protein (A136R154Q171 under the control of the neuron-specific enolase promoter. Sources derived from Nor98, CH1641 or 87V scrapie sources, as well as sources derived from L-type BSE or cattle-passaged TME, failed to transmit by the oral route, whereas those derived from classical BSE and classical scrapie were successfully transmitted. Apart from a possible effect of passage history of the TSE agent in the inocula, this implied the occurrence of subtle molecular changes in the protease-resistant prion protein (PrPres following oral transmission that can raises concerns about our ability to correctly identify sheep that might be orally infected by the BSE agent in the field. Our results provide proof of principle that transgenic mouse models can be used to examine the transmissibility of TSE agents by the oral route, providing novel insights regarding the pathogenesis of prion diseases.

  18. Peroxiredoxin 6 promotes upregulation of the prion protein (PrP in neuronal cells of prion-infected mice

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    Wagner Wibke

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been widely established that the conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC into its abnormal isoform (PrPSc is responsible for the development of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs. However, the knowledge of the detailed molecular mechanisms and direct functional consequences within the cell is rare. In this study, we aimed at the identification of deregulated proteins which might be involved in prion pathogenesis. Findings Apolipoprotein E and peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6 were identified as upregulated proteins in brains of scrapie-infected mice and cultured neuronal cell lines. Downregulation of PrP gene expression using specific siRNA did not result in a decrease of PRDX6 amounts. Interestingly, selective siRNA targeting PRDX6 or overexpression of PRDX6 controlled PrPC and PrPSc protein amounts in neuronal cells. Conclusions Besides its possible function as a novel marker protein in the diagnosis of TSEs, PDRX6 represents an attractive target molecule in putative pharmacological intervention strategies in the future.

  19. IMPY, a potential β-amyloid imaging probe for detection of prion deposits in scrapie-infected mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, P.-J.; Bernard, Serge; Sarradin, Pierre; Vergote, Jackie; Barc, Celine; Chalon, Sylvie; Kung, M.-P.; Kung, Hank F.; Guilloteau, Denis

    2008-01-01

    Introduction: A potential single-photon emission computed tomography imaging agent for labeling of Aβ plaques of Alzheimer's disease, IMPY (2-(4'-dimethylaminophenyl)-6-iodo-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine), would be effective in detection of prion amyloid deposits in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Methods: In vitro autoradiographic studies were carried out with [ 125 I]IMPY on brain sections from scrapie-infected mice and age-matched controls. Competition study was performed to evaluate the prion deposit binding specificity with nonradioactive IMPY. Results: Binding of [ 125 I]IMPY was observed in infected brain sections, while on age-matched control brain sections, there was no or very low labeling. Prion deposit binding was confirmed by histoblots with prion protein-specific monoclonal antibody 2D6. In the presence of nonradioactive IMPY, the binding of [ 125 I]IMPY was significantly inhibited in all regions studied. Conclusions: These findings indicate that IMPY can detect the prion deposits in vitro in scrapie-infected mice. Labeled with 123 I, this ligand may be useful to quantitate prion deposit burdens in TSEs by in vivo imaging

  20. 3D local structure around copper site of rabbit prion-related protein: Quantitative determination by XANES spectroscopy combined with multiple-scattering calculations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, P. X.; Lian, F. L.; Wang, Y.; Wen, Yi; Chu, W. S.; Zhao, H. F.; Zhang, S.; Li, J.; Lin, D. H.; Wu, Z. Y.

    2014-02-01

    Prion-related protein (PrP), a cell-surface copper-binding glycoprotein, is considered to be responsible for a number of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). The structural conversion of PrP from the normal cellular isoform (PrPC) to the post-translationally modified form (PrPSc) is thought to be relevant to Cu2+ binding to histidine residues. Rabbits are one of the few mammalian species that appear to be resistant to TSEs, because of the structural characteristics of the rabbit prion protein (RaPrPC) itself. Here we determined the three-dimensional local structure around the C-terminal high-affinity copper-binding sites using X-ray absorption near-edge structure combined with ab initio calculations in the framework of the multiple-scattering (MS) theory. Result shows that two amino acid resides, Gln97 and Met108, and two histidine residues, His95 and His110, are involved in binding this copper(II) ion. It might help us understand the roles of copper in prion conformation conversions, and the molecular mechanisms of prion-involved diseases.

  1. Prions spread via the autonomic nervous system from the gut to the central nervous system in cattle incubating bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Christine; Ziegler, Ute; Buschmann, Anne; Weber, Artur; Kupfer, Leila; Oelschlegel, Anja; Hammerschmidt, Baerbel; Groschup, Martin H

    2007-03-01

    To elucidate the still-unknown pathogenesis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), an oral BSE challenge and sequential kill study was carried out on 56 calves. Relevant tissues belonging to the peripheral and central nervous system, as well as to the lymphoreticular tract, from necropsied animals were analysed by highly sensitive immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting techniques to reveal the presence of BSE-associated pathological prion protein (PrPSc) depositions. Our results demonstrate two routes involving the autonomic nervous system through which BSE prions spread by anterograde pathways from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) to the central nervous system (CNS): (i) via the coeliac and mesenteric ganglion complex, splanchnic nerves and the lumbal/caudal thoracic spinal cord (representing the sympathetic GIT innervation); and (ii) via the Nervus vagus (parasympathetic GIT innervation). The dorsal root ganglia seem to be subsequently affected, so it is likely that BSE prion invasion of the non-autonomic peripheral nervous system (e.g. sciatic nerve) is a secondary retrograde event following prion replication in the CNS. Moreover, BSE-associated PrPSc was already detected in the brainstem of an animal 24 months post-infection, which is 8 months earlier than reported previously. These findings are important for the understanding of BSE pathogenesis and for the development of new diagnostic strategies for this infectious disease.

  2. Ultra-sensitive detection of prion protein fibrils by flow cytometry in blood from cattle affected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy

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    Maas Elke

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The definite diagnosis of prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD in humans or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE in cattle currently relies on the post mortem detection of the pathological form of the prion protein (PrPSc in brain tissue. Infectivity studies indicate that PrPSc may also be present in body fluids, even at presymptomatic stages of the disease, albeit at concentrations well below the detection limits of currently available analytical methods. Results We developed a highly sensitive method for detecting prion protein aggregates that takes advantage of kinetic differences between seeded and unseeded polymerization of prion protein monomers. Detection of the aggregates was carried out by flow cytometry. In the presence of prion seeds, the association of labelled recombinant PrP monomers in plasma and serum proceeds much more efficiently than in the absence of seeds. In a diagnostic model system, synthetic PrP aggregates were detected down to a concentration of approximately 10-8 nM [0.24 fg/ml]. A specific signal was detected in six out of six available serum samples from BSE-positive cattle. Conclusion We have developed a method based on seed-dependent PrP fibril formation that shows promising results in differentiating a small number of BSE-positive serum samples from healthy controls. This method may provide the basis for an ante mortem diagnostic test for prion diseases.

  3. Detection of RNA in the Plasma of Patients with Sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease, Gerstmann–Straüssler Syndrome and Other Non-Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Brain Disorders

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    Kazuo Tsukui

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The infectious agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE was assumed to be the aggregate of abnormal prion protein isoform (PrPsc. We observed that lowering the pH of 3% SDS-inoculated plasma or brain homogenate after PK digestion to 4.5 (acidic SDS condition enabled to precipitate proteinase K-resistant prion protein (PrPres in plasma as well as PrPres in the brain with synthetic poly-A RNA as affinity aggregate. Therefore, we determined if RNA molecules could be used for discriminating TSE patients from healthy individuals. We also examined the plasma of patients with classical Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD and other brain disorders who were not diagnosed with TSE. The results indicated that RNA approximately 1.5–2.0 kb in length was commonly observed in the plasma of patients with brain disorders but was not detected in the plasma of healthy volunteers. Enhanced expression of RNA and its protection from endogenous nucleases might occur in the former group of patients. Moreover, we speculate that the non-transmissible neuronal disorders overlap with prion diseases.

  4. Individual factors associated with L- and H-type Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in France

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    Sala Carole

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cattle with L-type (L-BSE and H-type (H-BSE atypical Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (BSE were identified in 2003 in Italy and France respectively before being identified in other countries worldwide. As of December 2011, around 60 atypical BSE cases have currently been reported in 13 countries, with over one third in France. While the epidemiology of classical BSE (C-BSE has been widely described, atypical BSEs are still poorly documented, but appear to differ from C-BSE. We analysed the epidemiological characteristics of the 12 cases of L-BSE and 11 cases of H-BSE detected in France from January 2001 to late 2009 and looked for individual risk factors. As L-BSE cases did not appear to be homogeneously distributed throughout the country, two complementary methods were used: spatial analysis and regression modelling. L-BSE and H-BSE were studied separately as both the biochemical properties of their pathological prion protein and their features differ in animal models. Results The median age at detection for L-BSE and H-BSE cases was 12.4 (range 8.4-18.7 and 12.5 (8.3-18.2 years respectively, with no significant difference between the two distributions. However, this median age differed significantly from that of classical BSE (7.0 (range 3.5-15.4 years. A significant geographical cluster was detected for L-BSE. Among animals over eight years of age, we showed that the risk of being detected as a L-BSE case increased with age at death. This was not the case for H-BSE. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to describe the epidemiology of the two types of atypical BSE. The geographical cluster detected for L-BSE could be partly due to the age structure of the background-tested bovine population. Our regression analyses, which adjusted for the effect of age and birth cohort showed an age effect for L-BSE and the descriptive analysis showed a particular age structure in the area where the cluster was

  5. PrP-C1 fragment in cattle brains reveals features of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy associated PrPsc.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serra, Fabienne; Müller, Joachim; Gray, John; Lüthi, Ramona; Dudas, Sandor; Czub, Stefanie; Seuberlich, Torsten

    2017-03-15

    Three different types of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are known and supposedly caused by distinct prion strains: the classical (C-) BSE type that was typically found during the BSE epidemic, and two relatively rare atypical BSE types, termed H-BSE and L-BSE. The three BSE types differ in the molecular phenotype of the disease associated prion protein, namely the N-terminally truncated proteinase K (PK) resistant prion protein fragment (PrP res ). In this study, we report and analyze yet another PrP res type (PrP res-2011 ), which was found in severely autolytic brain samples of two cows in the framework of disease surveillance in Switzerland in 2011. Analysis of brain tissues from these animals by PK titration and PK inhibitor assays ruled out the process of autolysis as the cause for the aberrant PrP res profile. Immunochemical characterization of the PrP fragments present in the 2011 cases by epitope mapping indicated that PrP res-2011 corresponds in its primary sequence to the physiologically occurring PrP-C1 fragment. However, high speed centrifugation, sucrose gradient assay and NaPTA precipitation revealed biochemical similarities between PrP res-2011 and the disease-associated prion protein found in BSE affected cattle in terms of detergent insolubility, PK resistance and PrP aggregation. Although it remains to be established whether PrP res-2011 is associated with a transmissible disease, our results point out the need of further research on the role the PrP-C1 aggregation and misfolding in health and disease. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. IMPY, a potential {beta}-amyloid imaging probe for detection of prion deposits in scrapie-infected mice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, P.-J. [INSERM, U619, F-37000 Tours (France); Universite Francois-Rabelais, F-37000 Tours (France); IFR135, F-37000 Tours (France); Bernard, Serge [IFR135, F-37000 Tours (France); INRA, UR1282, IASP, 37380 Nouzilly (France)], E-mail: bernard@tours.inra.fr; Sarradin, Pierre [INRA, UR1282, IASP, 37380 Nouzilly (France); Vergote, Jackie [INSERM, U619, F-37000 Tours (France); Universite Francois-Rabelais, F-37000 Tours (France); IFR135, F-37000 Tours (France); Barc, Celine [INRA, UR1282, IASP, 37380 Nouzilly (France); Chalon, Sylvie [INSERM, U619, F-37000 Tours (France); Universite Francois-Rabelais, F-37000 Tours (France); IFR135, F-37000 Tours (France); Kung, M.-P.; Kung, Hank F. [Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Guilloteau, Denis [INSERM, U619, F-37000 Tours (France); Universite Francois-Rabelais, F-37000 Tours (France); IFR135, F-37000 Tours (France)

    2008-02-15

    Introduction: A potential single-photon emission computed tomography imaging agent for labeling of A{beta} plaques of Alzheimer's disease, IMPY (2-(4'-dimethylaminophenyl)-6-iodo-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine), would be effective in detection of prion amyloid deposits in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Methods: In vitro autoradiographic studies were carried out with [{sup 125}I]IMPY on brain sections from scrapie-infected mice and age-matched controls. Competition study was performed to evaluate the prion deposit binding specificity with nonradioactive IMPY. Results: Binding of [{sup 125}I]IMPY was observed in infected brain sections, while on age-matched control brain sections, there was no or very low labeling. Prion deposit binding was confirmed by histoblots with prion protein-specific monoclonal antibody 2D6. In the presence of nonradioactive IMPY, the binding of [{sup 125}I]IMPY was significantly inhibited in all regions studied. Conclusions: These findings indicate that IMPY can detect the prion deposits in vitro in scrapie-infected mice. Labeled with {sup 123}I, this ligand may be useful to quantitate prion deposit burdens in TSEs by in vivo imaging.

  7. Probing Early Misfolding Events in Prion Protein Mutants by NMR Spectroscopy

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    Gregor Ilc

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The post-translational conversion of the ubiquitously expressed cellular form of the prion protein, PrPC, into its misfolded and pathogenic isoform, known as prion or PrPSc, plays a key role in prion diseases. These maladies are denoted transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs and affect both humans and animals. A prerequisite for understanding TSEs is unraveling the molecular mechanism leading to the conversion process whereby most α-helical motifs are replaced by β-sheet secondary structures. Importantly, most point mutations linked to inherited prion diseases are clustered in the C-terminal domain region of PrPC and cause spontaneous conversion to PrPSc. Structural studies with PrP variants promise new clues regarding the proposed conversion mechanism and may help identify “hot spots” in PrPC involved in the pathogenic conversion. These investigations may also shed light on the early structural rearrangements occurring in some PrPC epitopes thought to be involved in modulating prion susceptibility. Here we present a detailed overview of our solution-state NMR studies on human prion protein carrying different pathological point mutations and the implications that such findings may have for the future of prion research.

  8. A brief history of prions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zabel, Mark D.; Reid, Crystal

    2015-01-01

    Proteins were described as distinct biological molecules and their significance in cellular processes was recognized as early as the 18th century. At the same time, Spanish shepherds observed a disease that compelled their Merino sheep to pathologically scrape against fences, a defining clinical sign that led to the disease being named scrapie. In the late 19th century, Robert Koch published his postulates for defining causative agents of disease. In the early 20th century, pathologists Creutzfeldt and Jakob described a neurodegenerative disease that would later be included with scrapie into a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Later that century, mounting evidence compelled a handful of scientists to betray the prevailing biological dogma governing pathogen replication that Watson and Crick so convincingly explained by cracking the genetic code just two decades earlier. Because TSEs seemed to defy these new rules, J.S. Griffith theorized mechanisms by which a pathogenic protein could encipher its own replication blueprint without a genetic code. Stanley Prusiner called this proteinaceous infectious pathogen a prion. Here we offer a concise account of the discovery of prions, the causative agent of TSEs, in the wider context of protein biochemistry and infectious disease. We highlight the discovery of prions in yeast and discuss the implication of prions as epigenomic carriers of biological and pathological information. We also consider expanding the prion hypothesis to include other proteins whose alternate isoforms confer new biological or pathological properties. PMID:26449713

  9. Detection and partial discrimination of atypical and classical bovine spongiform encephalopathies in cattle and primates using real-time quaking-induced conversion assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levavasseur, Etienne; Biacabe, Anne-Gaëlle; Comoy, Emmanuel; Culeux, Audrey; Grznarova, Katarina; Privat, Nicolas; Simoneau, Steve; Flan, Benoit; Sazdovitch, Véronique; Seilhean, Danielle; Baron, Thierry; Haïk, Stéphane

    2017-01-01

    The transmission of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C-BSE) through contaminated meat product consumption is responsible for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans. More recent and atypical forms of BSE (L-BSE and H-BSE) have been identified in cattle since the C-BSE epidemic. Their low incidence and advanced age of onset are compatible with a sporadic origin, as are most cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans. Transmissions studies in primates and transgenic mice expressing a human prion protein (PrP) indicated that atypical forms of BSE may be associated with a higher zoonotic potential than classical BSE, and require particular attention for public health. Recently, methods designed to amplify misfolded forms of PrP have emerged as promising tools to detect prion strains and to study their diversity. Here, we validated real-time quaking-induced conversion assay for the discrimination of atypical and classical BSE strains using a large series of bovine samples encompassing all the atypical BSE cases detected by the French Centre of Reference during 10 years of exhaustive active surveillance. We obtained a 100% sensitivity and specificity for atypical BSE detection. In addition, the assay was able to discriminate atypical and classical BSE in non-human primates, and also sporadic CJD and vCJD in humans. The RT-QuIC assay appears as a practical means for a reliable detection of atypical BSE strains in a homologous or heterologous PrP context.

  10. Prion infected meat-and-bone meal is still infectious after biodiesel production.

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    Cathrin E Bruederle

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available The epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE has led to a world-wide drop in the market for beef by-products, such as Meat-and-Bone Meal (MBM, a fat-containing but mainly proteinaceaous product traditionally used as an animal feed supplement. While normal rendering is insufficient, the production of biodiesel from MBM has been suggested to destroy infectivity from transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs. In addition to producing fuel, this method simultaneously generates a nutritious solid residue. In our study we produced biodiesel from MBM under defined conditions using a modified form of alkaline methanolysis. We evaluated the presence of prion in the three resulting phases of the biodiesel reaction (Biodiesel, Glycerol and Solid Residue in vitro and in vivo. Analysis of the reaction products from 263K scrapie infected MBM led to no detectable immunoreactivity by Western Blot. Importantly, and in contrast to the biochemical results the solid MBM residue from the reaction retained infectivity when tested in an animal bioassay. Histochemical analysis of hamster brains inoculated with the solid residue showed typical spongiform degeneration and vacuolation. Re-inoculation of these brains into a new cohort of hamsters led to onset of clinical scrapie symptoms within 75 days, suggesting that the specific infectivity of the prion protein was not changed during the biodiesel process. The biodiesel reaction cannot be considered a viable prion decontamination method for MBM, although we observed increased survival time of hamsters and reduced infectivity greater than 6 log orders in the solid MBM residue. Furthermore, results from our study compare for the first time prion detection by Western Blot versus an infectivity bioassay for analysis of biodiesel reaction products. We could show that biochemical analysis alone is insufficient for detection of prion infectivity after a biodiesel process.

  11. Comparison of the clinical course of Japanese MM1-type sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease between subacute spongiform encephalopathy and panencephalopathic-type.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwasaki, Yasushi; Tatsumi, Shinsui; Mimuro, Maya; Kitamoto, Tetsuyuki; Yoshida, Mari

    2014-06-01

    Approximately half of Japanese sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) cases show panencephalopathic-type (PE-type) pathology, which is a rare subtype in North Americans and Europeans. Until now, the differences in the clinical course between subacute spongiform encephalopathy (SSE) cases and PE-type cases have been unclear. To investigate the clinical course of both subtypes, clinical findings from 42 Japanese MM1-type sCJD cases (20 SSE cases and 22 PE-type cases) were retrospectively evaluated by statistical analysis. No significant differences could be found regarding age at disease onset, the period between disease onset and first observation of myoclonus, the period between disease onset and the first observation of periodic sharp-wave complexes on electroencephalogram, or the period between disease onset and progression to the akinetic mutism state - whereas total disease duration and the period between the akinetic mutism state and death were significantly longer in PE-type cases. The prolonged disease duration was induced by the extended survival period in the akinetic mutism state. There was a statistically significant difference between the two series regarding performance of tube-feeding, but no statistically significant difference regarding performance of tracheotomy or gastrostomy. None of the cases received mechanical ventilation. We speculate that the most crucial factor of the prolonged survival period of Japanese sCJD cases, particularly in the PE-type, is that the introduction of tube-feeding in the akinetic mutism state leads to the stabilization of the patient's general condition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Experimental H-type and L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle: observation of two clinical syndromes and diagnostic challenges

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    Konold Timm

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The majority of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE cases so far identified worldwide have been detected by active surveillance. Consequently the volume and quality of material available for detailed characterisation is very limiting. Here we report on a small transmission study of both atypical forms, H- and L-type BSE, in cattle to provide tissue for test evaluation and research, and to generate clinical, molecular and pathological data in a standardised way to enable more robust comparison of the two variants with particular reference to those aspects most relevant to case ascertainment and confirmatory diagnosis within existing regulated surveillance programmes. Results Two groups of four cattle, intracerebrally inoculated with L-type or H-type BSE, all presented with a nervous disease form with some similarities to classical BSE, which progressed to a more dull form in one animal from each group. Difficulty rising was a consistent feature of both disease forms and not seen in two BSE-free, non-inoculated cattle that served as controls. The pathology and molecular characteristics were distinct from classical BSE, and broadly consistent with published data, but with some variation in the pathological characteristics. Both atypical BSE types were readily detectable as BSE by current confirmatory methods using the medulla brain region at the obex, but making a clear diagnostic distinction between the forms was not consistently straightforward in this brain region. Cerebellum proved a more reliable sample for discrimination when using immunohistochemistry. Conclusions The prominent feature of difficulty rising in atypical BSE cases may explain the detection of naturally occurring cases in emergency slaughter cattle and fallen stock. Current confirmatory diagnostic methods are effective for the detection of such atypical cases, but consistently and correctly identifying the variant forms may require modifications to

  13. In vitro detection of prionemia in TSE-infected cervids and hamsters.

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    Alan M Elder

    Full Text Available Blood-borne transmission of infectious prions during the symptomatic and asymptomatic stages of disease occurs for both human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs. The geographical distribution of the cervid TSE, chronic wasting disease (CWD, continues to spread across North America and the prospective number of individuals harboring an asymptomatic infection of human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD in the United Kingdom has been projected to be ~1 in 3000 residents. Thus, it is important to monitor cervid and human blood products to ensure herd health and human safety. Current methods for detecting blood-associated prions rely primarily upon bioassay in laboratory animals. While bioassay provides high sensitivity and specificity, it requires many months, animals, and it is costly. Here we report modification of the real time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC assay to detect blood-borne prions in whole blood from prion-infected preclinical white-tailed deer, muntjac deer, and Syrian hamsters, attaining sensitivity of >90% while maintaining 100% specificity. Our results indicate that RT-QuIC methodology as modified can provide consistent and reliable detection of blood-borne prions in preclinical and symptomatic stages of two animal TSEs, offering promise for prionemia detection in other species, including humans.

  14. Disease-associated prion protein in neural and lymphoid tissues of mink (Mustela vison) inoculated with transmissible mink encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, D A; Harrington, R D; Zhuang, D; Yan, H; Truscott, T C; Dassanayake, R P; O'Rourke, K I

    2012-11-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are diagnosed by immunodetection of disease-associated prion protein (PrP(d)). The distribution of PrP(d) within the body varies with the time-course of infection and between species, during interspecies transmission, as well as with prion strain. Mink are susceptible to a form of TSE known as transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME), presumed to arise due to consumption of feed contaminated with a single prion strain of ruminant origin. After extended passage of TME isolates in hamsters, two strains emerge, HY and DY, each of which is associated with unique structural isoforms of PrP(TME) and of which only the HY strain is associated with accumulation of PrP(TME) in lymphoid tissues. Information on the structural nature and lymphoid accumulation of PrP(TME) in mink is limited. In this study, 13 mink were challenged by intracerebral inoculation using late passage TME inoculum, after which brain and lymphoid tissues were collected at preclinical and clinical time points. The distribution and molecular nature of PrP(TME) was investigated by techniques including blotting of paraffin wax-embedded tissue and epitope mapping by western blotting. PrP(TME) was detected readily in the brain and retropharyngeal lymph node during preclinical infection, with delayed progression of accumulation within other lymphoid tissues. For comparison, three mink were inoculated by the oral route and examined during clinical disease. Accumulation of PrP(TME) in these mink was greater and more widespread, including follicles of rectoanal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Western blot analyses revealed that PrP(TME) accumulating in the brain of mink is structurally most similar to that accumulating in the brain of hamsters infected with the DY strain. Collectively, the results of extended passage in mink are consistent with the presence of only a single strain of TME, the DY strain, capable of inducing accumulation of PrP(TME) in the lymphoid

  15. Effect of Q211 and K222 PRNP Polymorphic Variants in the Susceptibility of Goats to Oral Infection With Goat Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar-Calvo, Patricia; Fast, Christine; Tauscher, Kerstin; Espinosa, Juan-Carlos; Groschup, Martin H; Nadeem, Muhammad; Goldmann, Wilfred; Langeveld, Jan; Bossers, Alex; Andreoletti, Olivier; Torres, Juan-María

    2015-08-15

    The prion protein-encoding gene (PRNP) is one of the major determinants for scrapie occurrence in sheep and goats. However, its effect on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) transmission to goats is not clear. Goats harboring wild-type, R/Q211 or Q/K222 PRNP genotypes were orally inoculated with a goat-BSE isolate to assess their relative susceptibility to BSE infection. Goats were killed at different time points during the incubation period and after the onset of clinical signs, and their brains as well as several peripheral tissues were analyzed for the accumulation of pathological prion protein (PrP(Sc)) and prion infectivity by mouse bioassay. R/Q211 goats displayed delayed clinical signs compared with wild-type goats. Deposits of PrP(Sc) were detected only in brain, whereas infectivity was present in peripheral tissues too. In contrast, none of the Q/K222 goats showed any evidence of clinical prion disease. No PrP(Sc) accumulation was observed in their brains or peripheral tissues, but very low infectivity was detected in some tissues very long after inoculation (44-45 months). These results demonstrate that transmission of goat BSE is genotype dependent, and they highlight the pivotal protective effect of the K222 PRNP variant in the oral susceptibility of goats to BSE. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Prion propagation and toxicity occur in vitro with two-phase kinetics specific to strain and neuronal type.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannaoui, Samia; Maatouk, Layal; Privat, Nicolas; Levavasseur, Etienne; Faucheux, Baptiste A; Haïk, Stéphane

    2013-03-01

    Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are fatal neurodegenerative disorders that occur in humans and animals. The neuropathological hallmarks of TSEs are spongiosis, glial proliferation, and neuronal loss. The only known specific molecular marker of TSEs is the abnormal isoform (PrP(Sc)) of the host-encoded prion protein (PrP(C)), which accumulates in the brain of infected subjects and forms infectious prion particles. Although this transmissible agent lacks a specific nucleic acid component, several prion strains have been isolated. Prion strains are characterized by differences in disease outcome, PrP(Sc) distribution patterns, and brain lesion profiles at the terminal stage of the disease. The molecular factors and cellular mechanisms involved in strain-specific neuronal tropism and toxicity remain largely unknown. Currently, no cellular model exists to facilitate in vitro studies of these processes. A few cultured cell lines that maintain persistent scrapie infections have been developed, but only two of them have shown the cytotoxic effects associated with prion propagation. In this study, we have developed primary neuronal cultures to assess in vitro neuronal tropism and toxicity of different prion strains (scrapie strains 139A, ME7, and 22L). We have tested primary neuronal cultures enriched in cerebellar granular, striatal, or cortical neurons. Our results showed that (i) a strain-specific neuronal tropism operated in vitro; (ii) the cytotoxic effect varied among strains and neuronal cell types; (iii) prion propagation and toxicity occurred in two kinetic phases, a replicative phase followed by a toxic phase; and (iv) neurotoxicity peaked when abnormal PrP accumulation reached a plateau.

  17. Molecular modeling of the conformational dynamics of the cellular prion protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Charles; Colling, Ian; Bartz, Jason; Soto, Patricia

    2014-03-01

    Prions are infectious agents responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), a type of fatal neurodegenerative disease in mammals. Prions propagate biological information by conversion of the non-pathological version of the prion protein to the infectious conformation, PrPSc. A wealth of knowledge has shed light on the nature and mechanism of prion protein conversion. In spite of the significance of this problem, we are far from fully understanding the conformational dynamics of the cellular isoform. To remedy this situation we employ multiple biomolecular modeling techniques such as docking and molecular dynamics simulations to map the free energy landscape and determine what specific regions of the prion protein are most conductive to binding. The overall goal is to characterize the conformational dynamics of the cell form of the prion protein, PrPc, to gain insight into inhibition pathways against misfolding. NE EPSCoR FIRST Award to Patricia Soto.

  18. Animal Research International - Vol 9, No 1 (2012)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Detection and diagnosis of prions, the causative agent for the neurodegenerative transmissible Spongiform Encephalopaties (TSEs) in sheep, cattle and humans - a review · EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. Henry Amaechi Onwubiko ...

  19. 78 FR 17920 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-25

    ... techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments regarding this information collection received...; Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Surveillance Program Documents. OMB Control Number: 0579-NEW. Summary of... Veterinary Services implemented the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) ongoing surveillance program. As...

  20. Ultraviolet-ozone treatment reduces levels of disease-associated prion protein and prion infectivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, C.J.; Gilbert, P.; McKenzie, D.; Pedersen, J.A.; Aiken, Judd M.

    2009-01-01

    Background. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by novel infectious agents referred to as prions. Prions appear to be composed primarily, if not exclusively, of a misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein. TSE infectivity is remarkably stable and can resist many aggressive decontamination procedures, increasing human, livestock and wildlife exposure to TSEs. Findings. We tested the hypothesis that UV-ozone treatment reduces levels of the pathogenic prion protein and inactivates the infectious agent. We found that UV-ozone treatment decreased the carbon and prion protein content in infected brain homogenate to levels undetectable by dry-ashing carbon analysis or immunoblotting, respectively. After 8 weeks of ashing, UV-ozone treatment reduced the infectious titer of treated material by a factor of at least 105. A small amount of infectivity, however, persisted despite UV-ozone treatment. When bound to either montmorillonite clay or quartz surfaces, PrPTSE was still susceptible to degradation by UV-ozone. Conclusion. Our findings strongly suggest that UV-ozone treatment can degrade pathogenic prion protein and inactivate prions, even when the agent is associated with surfaces. Using larger UV-ozone doses or combining UV-ozone treatment with other decontaminant methods may allow the sterilization of TSE-contaminated materials. ?? 2009 Aiken et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

  1. 76 FR 72159 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-22

    ... technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk...: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of Animals and Animal Products. OMB Control Number: 0579... prevent the introduction of diseases, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a chronic...

  2. Insights into Mechanisms of Chronic Neurodegeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abigail B. Diack

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD, Parkinson’s disease (PD, and prion diseases are characterised by the accumulation of abnormal conformers of a host encoded protein in the central nervous system. The process leading to neurodegeneration is still poorly defined and thus development of early intervention strategies is challenging. Unique amongst these diseases are Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs or prion diseases, which have the ability to transmit between individuals. The infectious nature of these diseases has permitted in vivo and in vitro modelling of the time course of the disease process in a highly reproducible manner, thus early events can be defined. Recent evidence has demonstrated that the cell-to-cell spread of protein aggregates by a “prion-like mechanism” is common among the protein misfolding diseases. Thus, the TSE models may provide insights into disease mechanisms and testable hypotheses for disease intervention, applicable to a number of these chronic neurodegenerative diseases.

  3. Combined Creutzfeldt-Jakob/ Alzheimer's Disease Cases are Important in Search for Microbes in Alzheimer's Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bastian, Frank O

    2017-01-01

    The question whether Alzheimer's disease is infectious as brought up in the recent editorial published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease is complicated by the controversy whether the causal agent is a microbe or a misfolded host protein (amyloid). The replicating amyloid (prion) theory, based upon data from studies of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), has been challenged since the prion can be separated from TSE infectivity, and spiroplasma, a wall-less bacterium, has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of CJD. Further support for a microbial cause for AD comes from occurrence of mixed CJD/AD cases involving up to 15% of AD brains submitted to brain banks. The association of CJD with AD suggests a common etiology rather than simply being a medical curiosity. A co-infection with the transmissible agent of CJD, which we propose to be a Spiroplasma sp., would explain the diversity of bacteria shown to be associated with cases of AD.

  4. Prion Protein Devoid of the Octapeptide Repeat Region Delays Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Pathogenesis in Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Hideyuki; Miyata, Hironori; Das, Nandita Rani; Chida, Junji; Yoshimochi, Tatenobu; Uchiyama, Keiji; Watanabe, Hitomi; Kondoh, Gen; Yokoyama, Takashi; Sakaguchi, Suehiro

    2018-01-01

    Conformational conversion of the cellular isoform of prion protein, PrP C , into the abnormally folded, amyloidogenic isoform, PrP Sc , is a key pathogenic event in prion diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in animals. We previously reported that the octapeptide repeat (OR) region could be dispensable for converting PrP C into PrP Sc after infection with RML prions. We demonstrated that mice transgenically expressing mouse PrP with deletion of the OR region on the PrP knockout background, designated Tg(PrPΔOR)/ Prnp 0 / 0 mice, did not show reduced susceptibility to RML scrapie prions, with abundant accumulation of PrP Sc ΔOR in their brains. We show here that Tg(PrPΔOR)/ Prnp 0 / 0 mice were highly resistant to BSE prions, developing the disease with markedly elongated incubation times after infection with BSE prions. The conversion of PrPΔOR into PrP Sc ΔOR was markedly delayed in their brains. These results suggest that the OR region may have a crucial role in the conversion of PrP C into PrP Sc after infection with BSE prions. However, Tg(PrPΔOR)/ Prnp 0 / 0 mice remained susceptible to RML and 22L scrapie prions, developing the disease without elongated incubation times after infection with RML and 22L prions. PrP Sc ΔOR accumulated only slightly less in the brains of RML- or 22L-infected Tg(PrPΔOR)/ Prnp 0 / 0 mice than PrP Sc in control wild-type mice. Taken together, these results indicate that the OR region of PrP C could play a differential role in the pathogenesis of BSE prions and RML or 22L scrapie prions. IMPORTANCE Structure-function relationship studies of PrP C conformational conversion into PrP Sc are worthwhile to understand the mechanism of the conversion of PrP C into PrP Sc We show here that, by inoculating Tg(PrPΔOR)/ Prnp 0 / 0 mice with the three different strains of RML, 22L, and BSE prions, the OR region could play a differential role in the conversion of

  5. In vivo detection of prion amyloid plaques using [{sup 11}C]BF-227 PET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okamura, Nobuyuki; Yanai, Kazuhiko [Tohoku University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Sendai (Japan); Shiga, Yusei; Itoyama, Yasuhito [Tohoku University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Sendai (Japan); Furumoto, Shozo [Tohoku University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Sendai (Japan); Tohoku University, Division of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Sendai (Japan); Tashiro, Manabu [Tohoku University, Division of Cyclotron Nuclear Medicine, Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Sendai (Japan); Tsuboi, Yoshio [Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Fukuoka (Japan); Furukawa, Katsutoshi; Arai, Hiroyuki [Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer, Tohoku University, Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Division of Brain Sciences, Sendai (Japan); Iwata, Ren [Tohoku University, Division of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Sendai (Japan); Kudo, Yukitsuka [Tohoku University, Innovation of New Biomedical Engineering Center, Sendai (Japan); Doh-ura, Katsumi [Tohoku University School of Medicine, Department of Prion Research, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai (Japan)

    2010-05-15

    In vivo detection of pathological prion protein (PrP) in the brain is potentially useful for the diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). However, there are no non-invasive ante-mortem means for detection of pathological PrP deposition in the brain. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the amyloid imaging tracer BF-227 with positron emission tomography (PET) for the non-invasive detection of PrP amyloid in the brain. The binding ability of BF-227 to PrP amyloid was investigated using autoradiography and fluorescence microscopy. Five patients with TSEs, including three patients with Gerstmann-Straeussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) and two patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), underwent [{sup 11}C]BF-227 PET scans. Results were compared with data from 10 normal controls and 17 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The regional to pons standardized uptake value ratio was calculated as an index of BF-227 retention. Binding of BF-227 to PrP plaques was confirmed using brain samples from autopsy-confirmed GSS cases. In clinical PET study, significantly higher retention of BF-227 was detected in the cerebellum, thalamus and lateral temporal cortex of GSS patients compared to that in the corresponding tissues of normal controls. GSS patients also showed higher retention of BF-227 in the cerebellum, thalamus and medial temporal cortex compared to AD patients. In contrast, the two CJD patients showed no obvious retention of BF-227 in the brain. Although [{sup 11}C]BF-227 is a non-specific imaging marker of cerebral amyloidosis, it is useful for in vivo detection of PrP plaques in the human brain in GSS, based on the regional distribution of the tracer. PET amyloid imaging might provide a means for both early diagnosis and non-invasive disease monitoring of certain forms of TSEs. (orig.)

  6. In vivo detection of prion amyloid plaques using [11C]BF-227 PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okamura, Nobuyuki; Yanai, Kazuhiko; Shiga, Yusei; Itoyama, Yasuhito; Furumoto, Shozo; Tashiro, Manabu; Tsuboi, Yoshio; Furukawa, Katsutoshi; Arai, Hiroyuki; Iwata, Ren; Kudo, Yukitsuka; Doh-ura, Katsumi

    2010-01-01

    In vivo detection of pathological prion protein (PrP) in the brain is potentially useful for the diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). However, there are no non-invasive ante-mortem means for detection of pathological PrP deposition in the brain. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the amyloid imaging tracer BF-227 with positron emission tomography (PET) for the non-invasive detection of PrP amyloid in the brain. The binding ability of BF-227 to PrP amyloid was investigated using autoradiography and fluorescence microscopy. Five patients with TSEs, including three patients with Gerstmann-Straeussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) and two patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), underwent [ 11 C]BF-227 PET scans. Results were compared with data from 10 normal controls and 17 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The regional to pons standardized uptake value ratio was calculated as an index of BF-227 retention. Binding of BF-227 to PrP plaques was confirmed using brain samples from autopsy-confirmed GSS cases. In clinical PET study, significantly higher retention of BF-227 was detected in the cerebellum, thalamus and lateral temporal cortex of GSS patients compared to that in the corresponding tissues of normal controls. GSS patients also showed higher retention of BF-227 in the cerebellum, thalamus and medial temporal cortex compared to AD patients. In contrast, the two CJD patients showed no obvious retention of BF-227 in the brain. Although [ 11 C]BF-227 is a non-specific imaging marker of cerebral amyloidosis, it is useful for in vivo detection of PrP plaques in the human brain in GSS, based on the regional distribution of the tracer. PET amyloid imaging might provide a means for both early diagnosis and non-invasive disease monitoring of certain forms of TSEs. (orig.)

  7. Novel mutation of the PRNP gene of a clinical CJD case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Collinge John

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs, a group of neurodegenerative diseases, are thought to be caused by an abnormal isoform of a naturally occurring protein known as cellular prion protein, PrPC. The abnormal form of prion protein, PrPSc accumulates in the brain of affected individuals. Both isoforms are encoded by the same prion protein gene (PRNP, and the structural changes occur post-translationally. Certain mutations in the PRNP gene result in genetic TSEs or increased susceptibility to TSEs. Case presentation A 70 year old woman was admitted to the hospital with severe confusion and inability to walk. Relatives recognized memory loss, gait and behavioral disturbances over a six month period prior to hospitalization. Neurological examination revealed Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD related symptoms such as incontinence, Babinski sign and myoclonus. EEG showed periodic sharp waves typical of sporadic CJD and cerebrospinal fluid analysis (CSF was positive for the presence of the 14-3-3-protein. As the disease progressed the patient developed akinetic mutism and died in the tenth month after onset of the disease symptoms. Unfortunately, no autopsy material was available. PRNP sequencing showed the occurrence of a point mutation on one allele at codon 193, which is altered from ACC, coding for a threonine, to ATC, encoding an isoleucine (T193I. Conclusion Here we report a novel mutation of the PRNP gene found in an elderly female patient resulting in heterozygosity for isoleucine and threonine at codon 193, in which normally homozygosity for threonine is expected (T193. The patient presented typical clinical symptoms of CJD. EEG findings and the presence of the 14-3-3 protein in the CSF, contributed to CJD diagnosis, allowing the classification of this case as a probable CJD according to the World Health Organization (WHO accepted criteria.

  8. Low copper and high manganese levels in prion protein plaques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Christopher J.; Gilbert, P.U.P.A.; Abrecth, Mike; Baldwin, Katherine L.; Russell, Robin E.; Pedersen, Joel A.; McKenzie, Debbie

    2013-01-01

    Accumulation of aggregates rich in an abnormally folded form of the prion protein characterize the neurodegeneration caused by transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). The molecular triggers of plaque formation and neurodegeneration remain unknown, but analyses of TSE-infected brain homogenates and preparations enriched for abnormal prion protein suggest that reduced levels of copper and increased levels of manganese are associated with disease. The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess copper and manganese levels in healthy and TSE-infected Syrian hamster brain homogenates; (2) determine if the distribution of these metals can be mapped in TSE-infected brain tissue using X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy (X-PEEM) with synchrotron radiation; and (3) use X-PEEM to assess the relative amounts of copper and manganese in prion plaques in situ. In agreement with studies of other TSEs and species, we found reduced brain levels of copper and increased levels of manganese associated with disease in our hamster model. We also found that the in situ levels of these metals in brainstem were sufficient to image by X-PEEM. Using immunolabeled prion plaques in directly adjacent tissue sections to identify regions to image by X-PEEM, we found a statistically significant relationship of copper-manganese dysregulation in prion plaques: copper was depleted whereas manganese was enriched. These data provide evidence for prion plaques altering local transition metal distribution in the TSE-infected central nervous system.

  9. 3D local structure around copper site of rabbit prion-related protein: Quantitative determination by XANES spectroscopy combined with multiple-scattering calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, P.X.; Lian, F.L.; Wang, Y.; Wen, Yi; Chu, W.S.; Zhao, H.F.; Zhang, S.; Li, J.; Lin, D.H.; Wu, Z.Y.

    2014-01-01

    Prion-related protein (PrP), a cell-surface copper-binding glycoprotein, is considered to be responsible for a number of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). The structural conversion of PrP from the normal cellular isoform (PrP C ) to the post-translationally modified form (PrP Sc ) is thought to be relevant to Cu 2+ binding to histidine residues. Rabbits are one of the few mammalian species that appear to be resistant to TSEs, because of the structural characteristics of the rabbit prion protein (RaPrP C ) itself. Here we determined the three-dimensional local structure around the C-terminal high-affinity copper-binding sites using X-ray absorption near-edge structure combined with ab initio calculations in the framework of the multiple-scattering (MS) theory. Result shows that two amino acid resides, Gln97 and Met108, and two histidine residues, His95 and His110, are involved in binding this copper(II) ion. It might help us understand the roles of copper in prion conformation conversions, and the molecular mechanisms of prion-involved diseases. - Highlights: ► The first structure of the metal ion binding site in RaPrP fifth copper-binding site. ► Quantitative determination by XANES spectroscopy combined with ab initio calculations. ► Provide a proof of the roles of copper in prion conformation conversions. ► Provide a proof of the molecular mechanisms of prion-involved diseases

  10. Wide Area Recovery and Resiliency Program (WARRP) Knowledge Enhancement Events: Agricultural Waste Disposal Workshop After Action Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-17

    bacterial mastitis thus not caretaking for their young. In summary, FMD is highly contagious and has profound impact on animal health and animal...regarding the distinction between FMD and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Also, there is confusion and hesitation regarding the consumption...Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) Chemical, Biological, Radiological (CBR) Centers for Disease

  11. Cellular Aspects of Prion Replication In Vitro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grassmann, Andrea; Wolf, Hanna; Hofmann, Julia; Graham, James; Vorberg, Ina

    2013-01-01

    Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders in mammals that are caused by unconventional agents predominantly composed of aggregated misfolded prion protein (PrP). Prions self-propagate by recruitment of host-encoded PrP into highly ordered β-sheet rich aggregates. Prion strains differ in their clinical, pathological and biochemical characteristics and are likely to be the consequence of distinct abnormal prion protein conformers that stably replicate their alternate states in the host cell. Understanding prion cell biology is fundamental for identifying potential drug targets for disease intervention. The development of permissive cell culture models has greatly enhanced our knowledge on entry, propagation and dissemination of TSE agents. However, despite extensive research, the precise mechanism of prion infection and potential strain effects remain enigmatic. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the cell biology and propagation of prions derived from cell culture experiments. We discuss recent findings on the trafficking of cellular and pathologic PrP, the potential sites of abnormal prion protein synthesis and potential co-factors involved in prion entry and propagation. PMID:23340381

  12. A closer look at prion strains: characterization and important implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solforosi, Laura; Milani, Michela; Mancini, Nicasio; Clementi, Massimo; Burioni, Roberto

    2013-01-01

    Prions are infectious proteins that are responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and consist primarily of scrapie prion protein (PrP (Sc) ), a pathogenic isoform of the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrP (C) ). The absence of nucleic acids as essential components of the infectious prions is the most striking feature associated to these diseases. Additionally, different prion strains have been isolated from animal diseases despite the lack of DNA or RNA molecules. Mounting evidence suggests that prion-strain-specific features segregate with different PrP (Sc) conformational and aggregation states. Strains are of practical relevance in prion diseases as they can drastically differ in many aspects, such as incubation period, PrP (Sc) biochemical profile (e.g., electrophoretic mobility and glycoform ratio) and distribution of brain lesions. Importantly, such different features are maintained after inoculation of a prion strain into genetically identical hosts and are relatively stable across serial passages. This review focuses on the characterization of prion strains and on the wide range of important implications that the study of prion strains involves.

  13. A closer look at prion strains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solforosi, Laura; Milani, Michela; Mancini, Nicasio; Clementi, Massimo; Burioni, Roberto

    2013-01-01

    Prions are infectious proteins that are responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and consist primarily of scrapie prion protein (PrPSc), a pathogenic isoform of the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrPC). The absence of nucleic acids as essential components of the infectious prions is the most striking feature associated to these diseases. Additionally, different prion strains have been isolated from animal diseases despite the lack of DNA or RNA molecules. Mounting evidence suggests that prion-strain-specific features segregate with different PrPSc conformational and aggregation states. Strains are of practical relevance in prion diseases as they can drastically differ in many aspects, such as incubation period, PrPSc biochemical profile (e.g., electrophoretic mobility and glycoform ratio) and distribution of brain lesions. Importantly, such different features are maintained after inoculation of a prion strain into genetically identical hosts and are relatively stable across serial passages. This review focuses on the characterization of prion strains and on the wide range of important implications that the study of prion strains involves. PMID:23357828

  14. L-Arginine ethylester enhances in vitro amplification of PrP(Sc) in macaques with atypical L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy and enables presymptomatic detection of PrP(Sc) in the bodily fluids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murayama, Y; Ono, F; Shimozaki, N; Shibata, H

    2016-02-12

    Protease-resistant, misfolded isoforms (PrP(Sc)) of a normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) in the bodily fluids, including blood, urine, and saliva, are expected to be useful diagnostic markers of prion diseases, and nonhuman primate models are suited for performing valid diagnostic tests for human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). We developed an effective amplification method for PrP(Sc) derived from macaques infected with the atypical L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (L-BSE) prion by using mouse brain homogenate as a substrate in the presence of polyanions and L-arginine ethylester. This method was highly sensitive and detected PrP(Sc) in infected brain homogenate diluted up to 10(10) by sequential amplification. This method in combination with PrP(Sc) precipitation by sodium phosphotungstic acid is capable of amplifying very small amounts of PrP(Sc) contained in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), saliva, urine, and plasma of macaques that have been intracerebrally inoculated with the L-BSE prion. Furthermore, PrP(Sc) was detectable in the saliva or urine samples as well as CSF samples obtained at the preclinical phases of the disease. Thus, our novel method may be useful for furthering the understanding of bodily fluid leakage of PrP(Sc) in nonhuman primate models. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Toxic spongiform leucoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, W.; Henkes, H.; Kuehne, D.; Moeller, P.; Bade, K.

    1998-01-01

    This is a report of clinical, CT and MRI findings in a patient with toxic spongiform leucoencephalopathy after heroin ingestion. The disease is observed in drug addicts who inhale pre-heated heroin. The clinical onset, which usually occurs some days or even longer after the last heroin consumption, is characterized by a cerebellar syndrome. The cerebellar hemispheres, the cerebellar and cerebral peduncles and the pyramidal tract may be affected. Spongiform demyelination is the morphological substrate of the lesions, which are not contrast enhancing, hypodense on CT and hyperintense on T2-weighted MRI. The frequently perfect symmetry of the affection of functional systems points to a toxic and/or metabolic pathophysiological mechanism. (orig.)

  16. Semisynthetic prion protein (PrP) variants carrying glycan mimics at position 181 and 197 do not form fibrils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araman, Can; Thompson, Robert E; Wang, Siyao; Hackl, Stefanie; Payne, Richard J; Becker, Christian F W

    2017-09-01

    The prion protein (PrP) is an N -glycosylated protein attached to the outer leaflet of eukaryotic cell membranes via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. Different prion strains have distinct glycosylation patterns and the extent of glycosylation of potentially pathogenic misfolded prion protein (PrP Sc ) has a major impact on several prion-related diseases (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, TSEs). Based on these findings it is hypothesized that posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of PrP influence conversion of cellular prion protein (PrP C ) into PrP Sc and, as such, modified PrP variants are critical tools needed to investigate the impact of PTMs on the pathogenesis of TSEs. Here we report a semisynthetic approach to generate PrP variants modified with monodisperse polyethyleneglycol (PEG) units as mimics of N-glycans. Incorporating PEG at glycosylation sites 181 and 197 in PrP induced only small changes to the secondary structure when compared to unmodified, wildtype PrP. More importantly, in vitro aggregation was abrogated for all PEGylated PrP variants under conditions at which wildtype PrP aggregated. Furthermore, the addition of PEGylated PrP as low as 10 mol% to wildtype PrP completely blocked aggregation. A similar effect was observed for synthetic PEGylated PrP segments comprising amino acids 179-231 alone if these were added to wildtype PrP in aggregation assays. This behavior raises the question if large N-glycans interfere with aggregation in vivo and if PEGylated PrP peptides could serve as potential therapeutics.

  17. Semisynthetic prion protein (PrP) variants carrying glycan mimics at position 181 and 197 do not form fibrils† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c7sc02719b Click here for additional data file.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araman, Can; Thompson, Robert E.; Wang, Siyao; Hackl, Stefanie; Payne, Richard J.

    2017-01-01

    The prion protein (PrP) is an N-glycosylated protein attached to the outer leaflet of eukaryotic cell membranes via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. Different prion strains have distinct glycosylation patterns and the extent of glycosylation of potentially pathogenic misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) has a major impact on several prion-related diseases (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, TSEs). Based on these findings it is hypothesized that posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of PrP influence conversion of cellular prion protein (PrPC) into PrPSc and, as such, modified PrP variants are critical tools needed to investigate the impact of PTMs on the pathogenesis of TSEs. Here we report a semisynthetic approach to generate PrP variants modified with monodisperse polyethyleneglycol (PEG) units as mimics of N-glycans. Incorporating PEG at glycosylation sites 181 and 197 in PrP induced only small changes to the secondary structure when compared to unmodified, wildtype PrP. More importantly, in vitro aggregation was abrogated for all PEGylated PrP variants under conditions at which wildtype PrP aggregated. Furthermore, the addition of PEGylated PrP as low as 10 mol% to wildtype PrP completely blocked aggregation. A similar effect was observed for synthetic PEGylated PrP segments comprising amino acids 179–231 alone if these were added to wildtype PrP in aggregation assays. This behavior raises the question if large N-glycans interfere with aggregation in vivo and if PEGylated PrP peptides could serve as potential therapeutics. PMID:28989689

  18. Subcritical Water Hydrolysis Effectively Reduces the In Vitro Seeding Activity of PrPSc but Fails to Inactivate the Infectivity of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Prions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuichi Murayama

    Full Text Available The global outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE has been attributed to the recycling of contaminated meat and bone meals (MBMs as feed supplements. The use of MBMs has been prohibited in many countries; however, the development of a method for inactivating BSE prions could enable the efficient and safe use of these products as an organic resource. Subcritical water (SCW, which is water heated under pressure to maintain a liquid state at temperatures below the critical temperature (374°C, exhibits strong hydrolytic activity against organic compounds. In this study, we examined the residual in vitro seeding activity of protease-resistant prion protein (PrPSc and the infectivity of BSE prions after SCW treatments. Spinal cord homogenates prepared from BSE-infected cows were treated with SCW at 230-280°C for 5-7.5 min and used to intracerebrally inoculate transgenic mice overexpressing bovine prion protein. Serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA analysis detected no PrPSc in the SCW-treated homogenates, and the mice treated with these samples survived for more than 700 days without any signs of disease. However, sPMCA analyses detected PrPSc accumulation in the brains of all inoculated mice. Furthermore, secondary passage mice, which inoculated with brain homogenates derived from a western blotting (WB-positive primary passage mouse, died after an average of 240 days, similar to mice inoculated with untreated BSE-infected spinal cord homogenates. The PrPSc accumulation and vacuolation typically observed in the brains of BSE-infected mice were confirmed in these secondary passage mice, suggesting that the BSE prions maintained their infectivity after SCW treatment. One late-onset case, as well as asymptomatic but sPMCA-positive cases, were also recognized in secondary passage mice inoculated with brain homogenates from WB-negative but sPMCA-positive primary passage mice. These results indicated that SCW

  19. Toxic spongiform leucoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, W.; Henkes, H.; Kuehne, D. [Klinik fuer Allgemeine Roentgendiagnostik und Neuroradiologie, Alfried-Krupp-Krankenhaus, Alfried Krupp Strasse 21, D-45117, Essen (Germany); Moeller, P.; Bade, K. [Neurologische Klinik, Knappschafts-Krankenhaus, D-45657 Recklinghausen (Germany)

    1998-06-02

    This is a report of clinical, CT and MRI findings in a patient with toxic spongiform leucoencephalopathy after heroin ingestion. The disease is observed in drug addicts who inhale pre-heated heroin. The clinical onset, which usually occurs some days or even longer after the last heroin consumption, is characterized by a cerebellar syndrome. The cerebellar hemispheres, the cerebellar and cerebral peduncles and the pyramidal tract may be affected. Spongiform demyelination is the morphological substrate of the lesions, which are not contrast enhancing, hypodense on CT and hyperintense on T2-weighted MRI. The frequently perfect symmetry of the affection of functional systems points to a toxic and/or metabolic pathophysiological mechanism. (orig.) With 2 figs., 2 tabs., 26 refs.

  20. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Caregiver Support Caregiver Stories Home › What is Hepatic Encephalopathy? Why Your Liver is Important The Connection Between HE and Liver ... Why it’s Important to Treat HE Symptoms of Liver Failure Glossary of terms ... is Hepatic Encephalopathy? Hepatic Encephalopathy, sometimes referred to as portosystemic encephalopathy ...

  1. Scrapie infectivity is quickly cleared in tissues of orally-infected farmed fish

    OpenAIRE

    Ingrosso, Loredana; Novoa, Beatriz; Valle, Andrea Z Dalla; Cardone, Franco; Aranguren, Raquel; Sbriccoli, Marco; Bevivino, Simona; Iriti, Marcello; Liu, Quanguo; Vetrugno, Vito; Lu, Mei; Faoro, Franco; Ciappellano, Salvatore; Figueras, Antonio; Pocchiari, Maurizio

    2006-01-01

    Abstract Background Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) belongs to the group of animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). BSE epidemic in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has been linked to the use of bovine meat and bone meals (MBM) in the feeding of cattle. There is concern that pigs, poultry and fish bred for human consumption and fed with infected MBM would eventually develop BSE or carry residual infectivity without disease. Although there has been no evidence of...

  2. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Caregiver Support Caregiver Stories Home › What is Hepatic Encephalopathy? Why Your Liver is Important The Connection Between HE and Liver ... Why it’s Important to Treat HE Symptoms of Liver Failure Glossary of terms ... is Hepatic Encephalopathy? Hepatic Encephalopathy, sometimes referred to as portosystemic encephalopathy ...

  3. Current pathogenetic aspects of hepatic encephalopathy and noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cichoż-Lach, Halina; Michalak, Agata

    2013-01-07

    Hepatic encephalopathy is a medical phenomenon that is described as a neuropsychiatric manifestation of chronic or acute liver disease that is characterized by psychomotor, intellectual and cognitive abnormalities with emotional/affective and behavioral disturbances. This article focuses on the underlying mechanisms of the condition and the differences between hepatic encephalopathy and noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy is a serious condition that can cause neurological death with brain edema and intracranial hypertension. It is assumed that approximately 60%-80% of patients with liver cirrhosis develop hepatic encephalopathy. This review explores the complex mechanisms that lead to hepatic encephalopathy. However, noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy is not associated with hepatic diseases and has a completely different etiology. Noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy is a severe occurrence that is connected with multiple pathogeneses.

  4. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Donate Today Enroll in 123 What is Hepatic Encephalopathy? Hepatic Encephalopathy, sometimes referred to as portosystemic encephalopathy or PSE, is a condition that causes temporary ...

  5. Fatal degenerative neurologic illnesses in men who participated in wild game feasts--Wisconsin, 2002.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2003-02-21

    Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal neurologic disorder in humans. CJD is one of a group of conditions known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, that are believed to be caused by abnormally configured, host-encoded prion proteins that accumulate in the central nervous tissue. CJD has an annual incidence of approximately 1 case per million population in the United States and occurs in three forms: sporadic, genetically determined, and acquired by infection. In the latter form, the incubation period is measured typically in years. Recent evidence that prion infection can cross the species barrier between humans and cattle has raised increasing public health concerns about the possible transmission to humans of a TSE among deer and elk known as chronic wasting disease (CWD). During 1993-1999, three men who participated in wild game feasts in northern Wisconsin died of degenerative neurologic illnesses. This report documents the investigation of these deaths, which was initiated in August 2002 and which confirmed the death of only one person from CJD. Although no association between CWD and CJD was found, continued surveillance of both diseases remains important to assess the possible risk for CWD transmission to humans.

  6. Treatment with a non-toxic, self-replicating anti-prion delays or prevents prion disease in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz-Espinoza, R; Morales, R; Concha-Marambio, L; Moreno-Gonzalez, I; Moda, F; Soto, C

    2018-03-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurological disorders caused by prions, which are composed of a misfolded protein (PrP Sc ) that self-propagates in the brain of infected individuals by converting the normal prion protein (PrP C ) into the pathological isoform. Here, we report a novel experimental strategy for preventing prion disease based on producing a self-replicating, but innocuous PrP Sc -like form, termed anti-prion, which can compete with the replication of pathogenic prions. Our results show that a prophylactic inoculation of prion-infected animals with an anti-prion delays the onset of the disease and in some animals completely prevents the development of clinical symptoms and brain damage. The data indicate that a single injection of the anti-prion eliminated ~99% of the infectivity associated to pathogenic prions. Furthermore, this treatment caused significant changes in the profile of regional PrP Sc deposition in the brains of animals that were treated, but still succumbed to the disease. Our findings provide new insights for a mechanistic understanding of prion replication and support the concept that prion replication can be separated from toxicity, providing a novel target for therapeutic intervention.

  7. 78 FR 1824 - Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection; National Veterinary Services...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-09

    ...; National Veterinary Services Laboratories; Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Surveillance Program Documents... associated with National Veterinary Services Laboratories diagnostic support for the bovine spongiform..., Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 43, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-3511. For copies of more...

  8. Removal of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy prion from large volumes of cell culture media supplemented with fetal bovine serum by using hollow fiber anion-exchange membrane chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Ming Li; Bailey, Andy; Avory, Tiffany; Tanimoto, Junji; Burnouf, Thierry

    2015-01-01

    Cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in people who had consumed contaminated meat products from cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy emphasize the need for measures aimed at preventing the transmission of the pathogenic prion protein (PrPSc) from materials derived from cattle. Highly stringent scrutiny is required for fetal bovine serum (FBS), a growth-medium supplement used in the production of parenteral vaccines and therapeutic recombinant proteins and in the ex vivo expansion of stem cells for transplantation. One such approach is the implementation of manufacturing steps dedicated to removing PrPSc from materials containing FBS. We evaluated the use of the QyuSpeed D (QSD) adsorbent hollow-fiber anion-exchange chromatographic column (Asahi Kasei Medical, Tokyo, Japan) for the removal of PrPSc from cell culture media supplemented with FBS. We first established that QSD filtration had no adverse effect on the chemical composition of various types of culture media supplemented with 10% FBS or the growth and viability characteristics of human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells, baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells, African green monkey kidney (Vero) cells, and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-k1) cells propagated in the various culture-medium filtrates. We used a 0.6-mL QSD column for removing PrPSc from up to 1000 mL of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 10% FBS previously spiked with the 263K strain of hamster-adapted scrapie. The Western blot analysis, validated alongside an infectivity assay, revealed that the level of PrPSc in the initial 200mL flow-through was reduced by 2.5 to > 3 log10, compared with that of the starting material. These results indicate that QSD filtration removes PrPSc from cell culture media containing 10% FBS, and demonstrate the ease with which QSD filtration can be implemented in at industrial-scale to improve the safety of vaccines, therapeutic recombinant proteins, and ex vivo expanded stem cells produced using growth

  9. Scrapie affects the maturation cycle and immune complex trapping by follicular dendritic cells in mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gillian McGovern

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs or prion diseases are infectious neurological disorders of man and animals, characterised by abnormal disease-associated prion protein (PrP(d accumulations in the brain and lymphoreticular system (LRS. Prior to neuroinvasion, TSE agents often accumulate to high levels within the LRS, apparently without affecting immune function. However, our analysis of scrapie-affected sheep shows that PrP(d accumulations within the LRS are associated with morphological changes to follicular dendritic cells (FDCs and tingible body macrophages (TBMs. Here we examined FDCs and TBMs in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs of scrapie-affected mice by light and electron microscopy. In MLNs from uninfected mice, FDCs could be morphologically categorised into immature, mature and regressing forms. However, in scrapie-affected MLNs this maturation cycle was adversely affected. FDCs characteristically trap and retain immune complexes on their surfaces, which they display to B-lymphocytes. In scrapie-affected MLNs, some FDCs were found where areas of normal and abnormal immune complex retention occurred side by side. The latter co-localised with PrP(d plasmalemmal accumulations. Our data suggest this previously unrecognised morphology represents the initial stage of an abnormal FDC maturation cycle. Alterations to the FDCs included PrP(d accumulation, abnormal cell membrane ubiquitin and excess immunoglobulin accumulation. Regressing FDCs, in contrast, appeared to lose their membrane-attached PrP(d. Together, these data suggest that TSE infection adversely affects the maturation and regression cycle of FDCs, and that PrP(d accumulation is causally linked to the abnormal pathology observed. We therefore support the hypothesis that TSEs cause an abnormality in immune function.

  10. The Quest for Comparability: Studying the Invariance of the Teachers? Sense of Self-Efficacy (TSES) Measure across Countries

    OpenAIRE

    Scherer, Ronny; Jansen, Malte; Nilsen, Trude; Areepattamannil, Shaljan; Marsh, Herbert W.

    2016-01-01

    Teachers’ self-efficacy is an important motivational construct that is positively related to a variety of outcomes for both the teachers and their students. This study addresses challenges associated with the commonly used ‘Teachers’ Sense of Self-Efficacy (TSES)’ measure across countries and provides a synergism between substantive research on teachers’ self-efficacy and the novel methodological approach of exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). These challenges include adequately ...

  11. Prussian blue caged in spongiform adsorbents using diatomite and carbon nanotubes for elimination of cesium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Baiyang [Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810 (Japan); Fugetsu, Bunshi, E-mail: hu@ees.hokudai.ac.jp [Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810 (Japan); Yu, Hongwen [Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810 (Japan); Abe, Yoshiteru [Kyoei Engineering Corporation, Niigata 959-1961 (Japan)

    2012-05-30

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Prussian blue was sealed in cavities of diatomite using carbon nanotubes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The caged Prussian blue after being permanently immobilized in polyurethane spongy showed a 167 mg/g capability for absorbing cesium. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cesium elimination was accomplished by simply adding the Prussian-blue based spongiform adsorbent to radioactive water. - Abstract: We developed a spongiform adsorbent that contains Prussian blue, which showed a high capacity for eliminating cesium. An in situ synthesizing approach was used to synthesize Prussian blue inside diatomite cavities. Highly dispersed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to form CNT networks that coated the diatomite to seal in the Prussian blue particles. These ternary (CNT/diatomite/Prussian-blue) composites were mixed with polyurethane (PU) prepolymers to produce a quaternary (PU/CNT/diatomite/Prussian-blue), spongiform adsorbent with an in situ foaming procedure. Prussian blue was permanently immobilized in the cell walls of the spongiform matrix and preferentially adsorbed cesium with a theoretical capacity of 167 mg/g cesium. Cesium was absorbed primarily by an ion-exchange mechanism, and the absorption was accomplished by self-uptake of radioactive water by the quaternary spongiform adsorbent.

  12. Prussian blue caged in spongiform adsorbents using diatomite and carbon nanotubes for elimination of cesium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Baiyang; Fugetsu, Bunshi; Yu, Hongwen; Abe, Yoshiteru

    2012-05-30

    We developed a spongiform adsorbent that contains Prussian blue, which showed a high capacity for eliminating cesium. An in situ synthesizing approach was used to synthesize Prussian blue inside diatomite cavities. Highly dispersed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to form CNT networks that coated the diatomite to seal in the Prussian blue particles. These ternary (CNT/diatomite/Prussian-blue) composites were mixed with polyurethane (PU) prepolymers to produce a quaternary (PU/CNT/diatomite/Prussian-blue), spongiform adsorbent with an in situ foaming procedure. Prussian blue was permanently immobilized in the cell walls of the spongiform matrix and preferentially adsorbed cesium with a theoretical capacity of 167 mg/g cesium. Cesium was absorbed primarily by an ion-exchange mechanism, and the absorption was accomplished by self-uptake of radioactive water by the quaternary spongiform adsorbent. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. CT and MRI findings of cyclosporine-related encephalopathy and hypertensive encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Akira; Hayakawa, Katsumi; Houjyou, Makoto

    2002-01-01

    We present the MRI and CT findings of one child with cyclosporine-related encephalopathy, and one child with hypertensive encephalopathy following cyclosporine-related encephalopathy. The imaging findings were shown well on T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MR images. Cyclosporine-related encephalopathy was distributed predominantly in the posterior white matter. Hypertensive encephalopathy showed similar changes of CT attenuation, but with wider distribution. These two disorders seem to have the same pathogenesis. (orig.)

  14. Current pathogenetic aspects of hepatic encephalopathy and noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy

    OpenAIRE

    Cichoż-Lach, Halina; Michalak, Agata

    2013-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy is a medical phenomenon that is described as a neuropsychiatric manifestation of chronic or acute liver disease that is characterized by psychomotor, intellectual and cognitive abnormalities with emotional/affective and behavioral disturbances. This article focuses on the underlying mechanisms of the condition and the differences between hepatic encephalopathy and noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy is a serious condition that can cause ne...

  15. Evidence for varied aetiologies regulating the transmission of prion disease: implications for understanding the heritable basis of prion incubation times.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Conrad O Iyegbe

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs are a group of progressive fatal neurodegenerative disorders, triggered by abnormal folding of the endogenous prion protein molecule. The encoding gene is a major biological factor influencing the length of the asymptomatic period after infection. It remains unclear the extent to which the variation between quantitative trait loci (QTLs reported in mouse models is due to methodological differences between approaches or genuine differences between traits. With this in mind, our approach to identifying genetic factors has sought to extend the linkage mapping approach traditionally applied, to a series of additional traits, while minimising methodological variability between them. Our approach allows estimations of heritability to be derived, as well as predictions to be made about possible existence of genetic overlap between the various traits.Our data indicate a surprising degree of heritability (up to 60%. Correlations between traits are also identified. A series of QTLs on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 11 and 18 accompany our heritability estimates. However, only a locus on chromosome 11 has a general effect across all 4 models explored.We have achieved some success in detecting novel and pre-existing QTLs associated with incubation time. However, aside from the general effects described, the model-specific nature of the broader host genetic architecture has also been brought into clearer focus. This suggests that genetic overlap can only partially account for the general heritability of incubation time when factors, such as the nature of the TSE agent and the route of administration are considered. This point is highly relevant to vCJD (a potential threat to public health where the route of primary importance is oral, while the QTLs being sought derive exclusively from studies of the ic route. Our results highlight the limitations of a single-model approach to QTL-mapping of TSEs.

  16. A new infectious encephalopathy syndrome, clinically mild encephalopathy associated with excitotoxicity (MEEX).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirai, Nozomi; Yoshimaru, Daisuke; Moriyama, Yoko; Yasukawa, Kumi; Takanashi, Jun-Ichi

    2017-09-15

    Acute infectious encephalopathy is often observed in children in East Asia including Japan. More than 40% of the patients remain unclassified into specific syndromes. To investigate the underlying pathomechanisms in those with unclassified encephalopathy, we evaluated brain metabolism by MR spectroscopy. Among seven patients with acute encephalopathy admitted to our hospital from June 2016 to May 2017, three were classified into acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion (AESD). The other four showed consciousness disturbance lasting more than three days with no parenchymal lesion visible on MRI, which led to a diagnosis of unclassified encephalopathy. MR spectroscopy in these four patients, however, revealed an increase of glutamine with a normal N-acetyl aspartate level on days 5 to 8, which had normalized by follow-up studies on days 11 to 16. The four patients clinically recovered completely. Among 27 patients with encephalopathy, including the present seven patients, admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to March 2017, seven (26%) were classified into this type, which we propose is a new encephalopathy syndrome, clinically mild encephalopathy associated with excitotoxicity (MEEX). MEEX is the second most common subtype, following AESD (30%). This study suggests that excitotoxicity may be a common underlying pathomechanism of acute infectious encephalopathy, and prompt astrocytic neuroprotection from excitotoxicity may prevent progression of MEEX into AESD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (Prion Diseases)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... This research is aimed at determining how abnormal prion proteins lead to disease, at finding better tests ... This research is aimed at determining how abnormal prion proteins lead to disease, at finding better tests ...

  18. Bilirubin encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bilirubin encephalopathy is a rare neurological condition that occurs in some newborns with severe jaundice . ... Bilirubin encephalopathy (BE) is caused by very high levels of bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that is created ...

  19. Insights into alternative prion protein topologies induced under high hydrostatic pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torrent, Joan; Alvarez-Martinez, Maria Teresa; Heitz, Frederic; Liautard, Jean-Pierre; Balny, Claude; Lange, Reinhard

    2004-01-01

    The critical step in the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) appears to be a conformational transition of a normal prion protein (PrP C ) into a misfolded isoform (PrP Sc ). To gain insight into the structural conversion of the prion protein we have exploited the use of high hydrostatic pressure combined with various spectroscopic techniques. In vitro transitions of the recombinant PrP to a scrapie-like form have never resulted in an infectious structure. It is our hypothesis that the acquisition of the disease-causing conformation depends on folding pathways which are difficult to attain. We attempt to favour, via specific reaction conditions at high pressure, alternative routes of misfolding leading to a stable infectious amyloidogenic conformer. Our results have demonstrated the potential of high pressure to reveal various prion structural changes, which are inaccessible by conventional methods. Especially, we have characterized a pressure-induced conformer in which the normal α-helical structure is changed into a highly aggregated β-sheet conformation showing markedly increased resistance to proteolysis (key markers of potential infectious agents). Our work may have important implications, not only for ultimately proving the protein-only hypothesis and for understanding the basic mechanism of the disease, but also for developing preventative and therapeutic measures

  20. Insights into alternative prion protein topologies induced under high hydrostatic pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torrent, Joan [INSERM U128, IFR 122, 1919 Route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier cedex 5 (France); Alvarez-Martinez, Maria Teresa [INSERM U431, IFR 122, Place Eugene Bataillon, F-34095 Montpellier cedex 5 (France); Heitz, Frederic [CRBM, CNRS-UPR 1086, IFR 122, 1919 Route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier cedex 5 (France); Liautard, Jean-Pierre [INSERM U431, IFR 122, Place Eugene Bataillon, F-34095 Montpellier cedex 5 (France); Balny, Claude [INSERM U128, IFR 122, 1919 Route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier cedex 5 (France); Lange, Reinhard [INSERM U128, IFR 122, 1919 Route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier cedex 5 (France)

    2004-04-14

    The critical step in the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) appears to be a conformational transition of a normal prion protein (PrP{sup C}) into a misfolded isoform (PrP{sup Sc}). To gain insight into the structural conversion of the prion protein we have exploited the use of high hydrostatic pressure combined with various spectroscopic techniques. In vitro transitions of the recombinant PrP to a scrapie-like form have never resulted in an infectious structure. It is our hypothesis that the acquisition of the disease-causing conformation depends on folding pathways which are difficult to attain. We attempt to favour, via specific reaction conditions at high pressure, alternative routes of misfolding leading to a stable infectious amyloidogenic conformer. Our results have demonstrated the potential of high pressure to reveal various prion structural changes, which are inaccessible by conventional methods. Especially, we have characterized a pressure-induced conformer in which the normal {alpha}-helical structure is changed into a highly aggregated {beta}-sheet conformation showing markedly increased resistance to proteolysis (key markers of potential infectious agents). Our work may have important implications, not only for ultimately proving the protein-only hypothesis and for understanding the basic mechanism of the disease, but also for developing preventative and therapeutic measures.

  1. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... OVERVIEW Donate Now Join an Event Volunteer Your Time The Legacy Society Make Gifts of Stock Donate ... problem from liver disease that gets worse over time. Hepatic Encephalopathy, sometimes referred to as portosystemic encephalopathy ...

  2. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Now Hepatic Encephalopathy Back Hepatic Encephalopathy is a brain disorder that develops in some individuals with liver ... is a condition that causes temporary worsening of brain function in people with advanced liver disease. When ...

  3. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... that can be corrected . It may also occur as part of a chronic problem from liver disease ... worse over time. Hepatic Encephalopathy, sometimes referred to as portosystemic encephalopathy or PSE, is a condition that ...

  4. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Disease Type 1 (von Gierke) Hemochromatosis Hepatic Encephalopathy Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy ( ... Disease Type 1 (von Gierke) Hemochromatosis Hepatic Encephalopathy Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy ( ...

  5. Pruritus is a common feature in sheep infected with the BSE agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konold, Timm; Bone, Gemma; Vidal-Diez, Alberto; Tortosa, Raul; Davis, Andrew; Dexter, Glenda; Hill, Peter; Jeffrey, Martin; Simmons, Marion M; Chaplin, Melanie J; Bellworthy, Susan J; Berthelin-Baker, Christine

    2008-04-29

    The variability in the clinical or pathological presentation of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in sheep, such as scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), has been attributed to prion protein genotype, strain, breed, clinical duration, dose, route and type of inoculum and the age at infection. The study aimed to describe the clinical signs in sheep infected with the BSE agent throughout its clinical course to determine whether the clinical signs were as variable as described for classical scrapie in sheep. The clinical signs were compared to BSE-negative sheep to assess if disease-specific clinical markers exist. Forty-seven (34%) of 139 sheep, which comprised 123 challenged sheep and 16 undosed controls, were positive for BSE. Affected sheep belonged to five different breeds and three different genotypes (ARQ/ARQ, VRQ/VRQ and AHQ/AHQ). None of the controls or BSE exposed sheep with ARR alleles were positive. Pruritus was present in 41 (87%) BSE positive sheep; the remaining six were judged to be pre-clinically infected. Testing of the response to scratching along the dorsum of a sheep proved to be a good indicator of clinical disease with a test sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 98% and usually coincided with weight loss. Clinical signs that were displayed significantly earlier in BSE positive cases compared to negative cases were behavioural changes, pruritic behaviour, a positive scratch test, alopecia, skin lesions, teeth grinding, tremor, ataxia, loss of weight and loss of body condition. The frequency and severity of each specific clinical sign usually increased with the progression of disease over a period of 16-20 weeks. Our results suggest that BSE in sheep presents with relatively uniform clinical signs, with pruritus of increased severity and abnormalities in behaviour or movement as the disease progressed. Based on the studied sheep, these clinical features appear to be independent of breed, affected genotype, dose, route

  6. Pruritus is a common feature in sheep infected with the BSE agent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeffrey Martin

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The variability in the clinical or pathological presentation of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs in sheep, such as scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, has been attributed to prion protein genotype, strain, breed, clinical duration, dose, route and type of inoculum and the age at infection. The study aimed to describe the clinical signs in sheep infected with the BSE agent throughout its clinical course to determine whether the clinical signs were as variable as described for classical scrapie in sheep. The clinical signs were compared to BSE-negative sheep to assess if disease-specific clinical markers exist. Results Forty-seven (34% of 139 sheep, which comprised 123 challenged sheep and 16 undosed controls, were positive for BSE. Affected sheep belonged to five different breeds and three different genotypes (ARQ/ARQ, VRQ/VRQ and AHQ/AHQ. None of the controls or BSE exposed sheep with ARR alleles were positive. Pruritus was present in 41 (87% BSE positive sheep; the remaining six were judged to be pre-clinically infected. Testing of the response to scratching along the dorsum of a sheep proved to be a good indicator of clinical disease with a test sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 98% and usually coincided with weight loss. Clinical signs that were displayed significantly earlier in BSE positive cases compared to negative cases were behavioural changes, pruritic behaviour, a positive scratch test, alopecia, skin lesions, teeth grinding, tremor, ataxia, loss of weight and loss of body condition. The frequency and severity of each specific clinical sign usually increased with the progression of disease over a period of 16–20 weeks. Conclusion Our results suggest that BSE in sheep presents with relatively uniform clinical signs, with pruritus of increased severity and abnormalities in behaviour or movement as the disease progressed. Based on the studied sheep, these clinical features appear to

  7. Current and future molecular diagnostics for prion diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehto, Marty T; Peery, Harry E; Cashman, Neil R

    2006-07-01

    It is now widely held that the infectious agents underlying the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are prions, which are primarily composed of a misfolded, protease-resistant isoform of the host prion protein. Untreatable prion disorders include some human diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and diseases of economically important animals, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (cattle) and chronic wasting disease (deer and elk). Detection and diagnosis of prion disease (and presymptomatic incubation) is contingent upon developing novel assays, which exploit properties uniquely possessed by this misfolded protein complex, rather than targeting an agent-specific nucleic acid. This review highlights some of the conventional and disruptive technologies developed to respond to this challenge.

  8. How do US and Canadian consumers value credence attributes associated with beef labels after the North American BSE crisis of 2003?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steiner, Bodo; Yang, Jun

    2010-01-01

    A consumer survey conducted in 2006 (n = 419), and therefore after the first confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) cases in North America in 2003, employs attribute-based choice experiments for a cross-country comparison of consumers' valuation of credence attributes associated with be....... Effective supply-chain responses to consumers' valuation of credence attributes, for example, in the form of labelling, should therefore take consumers' heterogeneity into account.......A consumer survey conducted in 2006 (n = 419), and therefore after the first confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) cases in North America in 2003, employs attribute-based choice experiments for a cross-country comparison of consumers' valuation of credence attributes associated with beef...

  9. Pathogenesis of Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irena Ciećko-Michalska

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Hepatic encephalopathy can be a serious complication of acute liver failure and chronic liver diseases, predominantly liver cirrhosis. Hyperammonemia plays the most important role in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. The brain-blood barrier disturbances, changes in neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, GABA-ergic or benzodiazepine pathway abnormalities, manganese neurotoxicity, brain energetic disturbances, and brain blood flow abnormalities are considered to be involved in the development of hepatic encephalopathy. The influence of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO on the induction of minimal hepatic encephalopathy is recently emphasized. The aim of this paper is to present the current views on the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy.

  10. Pathogenesis of Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciećko-Michalska, Irena; Szczepanek, Małgorzata; Słowik, Agnieszka; Mach, Tomasz

    2012-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy can be a serious complication of acute liver failure and chronic liver diseases, predominantly liver cirrhosis. Hyperammonemia plays the most important role in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. The brain-blood barrier disturbances, changes in neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, GABA-ergic or benzodiazepine pathway abnormalities, manganese neurotoxicity, brain energetic disturbances, and brain blood flow abnormalities are considered to be involved in the development of hepatic encephalopathy. The influence of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) on the induction of minimal hepatic encephalopathy is recently emphasized. The aim of this paper is to present the current views on the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. PMID:23316223

  11. R3-R4 deletion in the PRNP gene is associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cervenakova, L.; Brown, P.; Nagle, J. [and others

    1994-09-01

    There are conflicting reports on the association of deletions in the PRNP gene on chromosome 20 with CJD, a rapidly progressive fatal spongiform encephalopathy. We accumulated data suggesting that a deletion of R3-R4 type (parts of the third and fourth repeats are deleted from the area of four repeating 24 bp sequences in the 5{prime} region of the gene) is causing CJD. Screening of 129 unaffected control individuals demonstrated presence of a deletion of R2 type in four (1.55% of the studied chromosomes), but none of them had the R3-R4 type. Of 181 screened patients with spongiform encephalopathies, two had a deletion of R3-R4 type with no other mutations in the coding sequence. Both patients had a classical rapidly progressive dementing disease and diffuse spongiform degeneration, and both cases were apparently sporadic. The same R3-R4 type of deletion was detected in three additional neuropathologically confirmed spongiform encephalopathy patients, of which two had other known pathogenic mutations in the PRNP gene: at codon 178 on the methionine allele exhibiting the phenotype of fatal familial insomnia, and codon 200 causing CJD with severe dementia; the third was a patient with iatrogenic CJD who developed the disease after treatment with growth hormone extracted from cadaveric human pituitary glands. In all cases the deletion coincided with a variant sequence at position 129 coding for methionine.

  12. Dopaminergic agonists for hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Als-Nielsen, B; Gluud, L L; Gluud, C

    2004-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy may be associated with an impairment of the dopaminergic neurotransmission. Dopaminergic agonists may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy.......Hepatic encephalopathy may be associated with an impairment of the dopaminergic neurotransmission. Dopaminergic agonists may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy....

  13. MRI of neonatal encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khong, P.L.; Lam, B.C.C.; Tung, H.K.S.; Wong, V.; Chan, F.L.; Ooi, G.C.

    2003-01-01

    We present the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in neonatal encephalopathy, including hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, perinatal/neonatal stroke, metabolic encephalopathy from inborn errors of metabolism, congenital central nervous system infections and birth trauma. The applications of advanced MRI techniques, such as diffusion-weighted imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy are emphasized

  14. 78 FR 28852 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Substances...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-16

    ... of information technology. Substances Prohibited From Use in Animal Food or Feed; Animal Proteins... suggested that bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a progressively degenerative central nervous system...

  15. Treatment of Epileptic Encephalopathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balestrini, Simona; Sisodiya, Sanjay M

    2017-01-01

    Epileptic encephalopathies represent the most severe epilepsies, with onset in infancy and childhood and seizures continuing in adulthood in most cases. New genetic causes are being identified at a rapid rate. Treatment is challenging and the overall outcome remains poor. Available targeted treatments, based on the precision medicine approach, are currently few. To provide an overview of the treatment of epileptic encephalopathies with known genetic determinants, including established treatment, anecdotal reports of specific treatment, and potential tailored precision medicine strategies. Genes known to be associated to epileptic encephalopathy were selected. Genes where the association was uncertain or with no reports of details on treatment, were not included. Although some of the genes included are associated with multiple epilepsy phenotypes or other organ involvement, we have mainly focused on the epileptic encephalopathies and their antiepileptic treatments. Most epileptic encephalopathies show genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity. The treatment of seizures is difficult in most cases. The available evidence may provide some guidance for treatment: for example, ACTH seems to be effective in controlling infantile spams in a number of genetic epileptic encephalopathies. There are potentially effective tailored precision medicine strategies available for some of the encephalopathies, and therapies with currently unexplained effectiveness in others. Understanding the effect of the mutation is crucial for targeted treatment. There is a broad range of disease mechanisms underlying epileptic encephalopathies, and this makes the application of targeted treatments challenging. However, there is evidence that tailored treatment could significantly improve epilepsy treatment and prognosis. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  16. Risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease via blood and blood products. The French risk-analysis over the last 15 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, M; Trouvin, J-H

    2013-09-01

    Risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (infectious agent, responsible of spongiform encephalopathy) via blood and blood components (including the plasma-derived medicinal products such as coagulation factors and immunoglobulins) have been a subject of concern for Health authorities since the early 1980s, with a regain of interest in the 1990s, with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy outbreak followed few years after with the notification of the first cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. The risk-analysis and measures taken by the French authorities in the period 1990-2010 will be described with the various assumptions and working hypothesis used and revisited as new findings become available. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. Comparison of MRI, CT, TCD and SPECT in patients with spongiform leukoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Qun; Lu Bingxun; Yuan Huijuan

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To compare the characteristics of MRI, CT, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) in patients with spongiform leukoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapor. Methods: Seventeen patients were investigated. MRI or CT was scanned in 17 patients, SPECT in 9 patients' and TCD in 11 patients. Results: MRI or CT: Brain MRI and CT revealed extensive symmetric white matter involvement of bilateral cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres and the brainstem. The lesions, which showed no contrast enhancement, were hypodense on CT and hypointense on T 1 -weighted and hyperintense on T 2 -weighted MRI. SPECT: The regional cerebral blood flows (rCBF) of white matter involvement on bilateral cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres was reduced obviously. The rCBF of temporal lobes, parietal lobes, occipital lobes, cerebellar hemispheres, and basal ganglion was reduced in varying degrees. TCD: The systolic peak became sharpened, and end-diastolic flow velocity and mean flow velocity were reduced obviously and pulsatile index was increased markedly in patients with spongiform leukoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapor. Conclusion: The characteristic manifestations of MRI and CT imaging may be regarded as the main foundation of diagnosing spongiform leukoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapor; SPECT and TCD can help comprehend the changes of hemodynamics of cerebral vessels and the degree of cerebral ischemia in patients with spongiform leukoencephalopathy after inhaling heroin vapor

  18. EU-approved rapid tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy detect atypical forms: a study for their sensitivities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Meloni

    Full Text Available Since 2004 it become clear that atypical bovine spongiform encephalopthies (BSEs exist in cattle. Whenever their detection has relied on active surveillance plans implemented in Europe since 2001 by rapid tests, the overall and inter-laboratory performance of these diagnostic systems in the detection of the atypical strains has not been studied thoroughly to date. To fill this gap, the present study reports on the analytical sensitivity of the EU-approved rapid tests for atypical L- and H-type and classical BSE in parallel. Each test was challenged with two dilution series, one created from a positive pool of the three BSE forms according to the EURL standard method of homogenate preparation (50% w/v and the other as per the test kit manufacturer's instructions. Multilevel logistic models and simple logistic models with the rapid test as the only covariate were fitted for each BSE form analyzed as directed by the test manufacturer's dilution protocol. The same schemes, but excluding the BSE type, were then applied to compare test performance under the manufacturer's versus the water protocol. The IDEXX HerdChek ® BSE-scrapie short protocol test showed the highest sensitivity for all BSE forms. The IDEXX® HerdChek BSE-scrapie ultra short protocol, the Prionics®--Check WESTERN and the AJ Roboscreen® BetaPrion tests showed similar sensitivities, followed by the Roche® PrionScreen, the Bio-Rad® TeSeE™ SAP and the Prionics®--Check PrioSTRIP in descending order of analytical sensitivity. Despite these differences, the limit of detection of all seven rapid tests against the different classes of material set within a 2 log(10 range of the best-performing test, thus meeting the European Food Safety Authority requirement for BSE surveillance purposes. These findings indicate that not many atypical cases would have been missed surveillance since 2001 which is important for further epidemiological interpretations of the sporadic character of

  19. The Quest for Comparability: Studying the Invariance of the Teachers’ Sense of Self-Efficacy (TSES) Measure across Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherer, Ronny; Jansen, Malte; Nilsen, Trude; Areepattamannil, Shaljan; Marsh, Herbert W.

    2016-01-01

    Teachers’ self-efficacy is an important motivational construct that is positively related to a variety of outcomes for both the teachers and their students. This study addresses challenges associated with the commonly used ‘Teachers’ Sense of Self-Efficacy (TSES)’ measure across countries and provides a synergism between substantive research on teachers’ self-efficacy and the novel methodological approach of exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). These challenges include adequately representing the conceptual overlap between the facets of self-efficacy in a measurement model (cross-loadings) and comparing means and factor structures across countries (measurement invariance). On the basis of the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013 data set comprising 32 countries (N = 164,687), we investigate the effects of cross-loadings in the TSES measurement model on the results of measurement invariance testing and the estimation of relations to external constructs (i.e., working experience, job satisfaction). To further test the robustness of our results, we replicate the 32-countries analyses for three selected sub-groups of countries (i.e., Nordic, East and South-East Asian, and Anglo-Saxon country clusters). For each of the TALIS 2013 participating countries, we found that the factor structure of the self-efficacy measure is better represented by ESEM than by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models that do not allow for cross-loadings. For both ESEM and CFA, only metric invariance could be achieved. Nevertheless, invariance levels beyond metric invariance are better achieved with ESEM within selected country clusters. Moreover, the existence of cross-loadings did not affect the relations between the dimensions of teachers’ self-efficacy and external constructs. Overall, this study shows that a conceptual overlap between the facets of self-efficacy exists and can be well-represented by ESEM. We further argue for the cross

  20. The Quest for Comparability: Studying the Invariance of the Teachers' Sense of Self-Efficacy (TSES) Measure across Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherer, Ronny; Jansen, Malte; Nilsen, Trude; Areepattamannil, Shaljan; Marsh, Herbert W

    2016-01-01

    Teachers' self-efficacy is an important motivational construct that is positively related to a variety of outcomes for both the teachers and their students. This study addresses challenges associated with the commonly used 'Teachers' Sense of Self-Efficacy (TSES)' measure across countries and provides a synergism between substantive research on teachers' self-efficacy and the novel methodological approach of exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). These challenges include adequately representing the conceptual overlap between the facets of self-efficacy in a measurement model (cross-loadings) and comparing means and factor structures across countries (measurement invariance). On the basis of the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013 data set comprising 32 countries (N = 164,687), we investigate the effects of cross-loadings in the TSES measurement model on the results of measurement invariance testing and the estimation of relations to external constructs (i.e., working experience, job satisfaction). To further test the robustness of our results, we replicate the 32-countries analyses for three selected sub-groups of countries (i.e., Nordic, East and South-East Asian, and Anglo-Saxon country clusters). For each of the TALIS 2013 participating countries, we found that the factor structure of the self-efficacy measure is better represented by ESEM than by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models that do not allow for cross-loadings. For both ESEM and CFA, only metric invariance could be achieved. Nevertheless, invariance levels beyond metric invariance are better achieved with ESEM within selected country clusters. Moreover, the existence of cross-loadings did not affect the relations between the dimensions of teachers' self-efficacy and external constructs. Overall, this study shows that a conceptual overlap between the facets of self-efficacy exists and can be well-represented by ESEM. We further argue for the cross

  1. Molecular architecture of human prion protein amyloid: a parallel, in-register beta-structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobb, Nathan J; Sönnichsen, Frank D; McHaourab, Hassane; Surewicz, Witold K

    2007-11-27

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) represent a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases that are associated with conformational conversion of the normally monomeric and alpha-helical prion protein, PrP(C), to the beta-sheet-rich PrP(Sc). This latter conformer is believed to constitute the main component of the infectious TSE agent. In contrast to high-resolution data for the PrP(C) monomer, structures of the pathogenic PrP(Sc) or synthetic PrP(Sc)-like aggregates remain elusive. Here we have used site-directed spin labeling and EPR spectroscopy to probe the molecular architecture of the recombinant PrP amyloid, a misfolded form recently reported to induce transmissible disease in mice overexpressing an N-terminally truncated form of PrP(C). Our data show that, in contrast to earlier, largely theoretical models, the con formational conversion of PrP(C) involves major refolding of the C-terminal alpha-helical region. The core of the amyloid maps to C-terminal residues from approximately 160-220, and these residues form single-molecule layers that stack on top of one another with parallel, in-register alignment of beta-strands. This structural insight has important implications for understanding the molecular basis of prion propagation, as well as hereditary prion diseases, most of which are associated with point mutations in the region found to undergo a refolding to beta-structure.

  2. Prion protein β2–α2 loop conformational landscape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldarulo, Enrico; Wüthrich, Kurt; Parrinello, Michele

    2017-01-01

    In transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which are lethal neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and a wide range of other mammalian species, the normal “cellular” prion protein (PrPC) is transformed into amyloid aggregates representing the “scrapie form” of the protein (PrPSc). Continued research on this system is of keen interest, since new information on the physiological function of PrPC in healthy organisms is emerging, as well as new data on the mechanism of the transformation of PrPC to PrPSc. In this paper we used two different approaches: a combination of the well-tempered ensemble (WTE) and parallel tempering (PT) schemes and metadynamics (MetaD) to characterize the conformational free-energy surface of PrPC. The focus of the data analysis was on an 11-residue polypeptide segment in mouse PrPC(121–231) that includes the β2–α2 loop of residues 167–170, for which a correlation between structure and susceptibility to prion disease has previously been described. This study includes wild-type mouse PrPC and a variant with the single-residue replacement Y169A. The resulting detailed conformational landscapes complement in an integrative manner the available experimental data on PrPC, providing quantitative insights into the nature of the structural transition-related function of the β2–α2 loop. PMID:28827331

  3. Persistence of pathogenic prion protein during simulated wastewater treatment processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinckley, G.T.; Johnson, C.J.; Jacobson, K.H.; Bartholomay, C.; Mcmahon, K.D.; McKenzie, D.; Aiken, Judd M.; Pedersen, J.A.

    2008-01-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs, prion diseases) are a class of fatal neurodegenerative diseases affecting a variety of mammalian species including humans. A misfolded form of the prion protein (PrP TSE) is the major, if not sole, component of the infectious agent. Prions are highly resistant to degradation and to many disinfection procedures suggesting that, if prions enter wastewater treatment systems through sewers and/or septic systems (e.g., from slaughterhouses, necropsy laboratories, rural meat processors, private game dressing) or through leachate from landfills that have received TSE-contaminated material, prions could survive conventional wastewater treatment Here, we report the results of experiments examining the partitioning and persistence of PrPTSE during simulated wastewater treatment processes including activated and mesophilic anaerobic sludge digestion. Incubation with activated sludge did not result in significant PrPTSE degradation. PrPTSE and prion infectivity partitioned strongly to activated sludge solids and are expected to enter biosolids treatment processes. A large fraction of PrPTSE survived simulated mesophilic anaerobic sludge digestion. The small reduction in recoverable PrPTSE after 20-d anaerobic sludge digestion appeared attributable to a combination of declining extractability with time and microbial degradation. Our results suggest that if prions were to enter municipal wastewater treatment systems, most would partition to activated sludge solids, survive mesophilic anaerobic digestion, and be present in treated biosolids. ?? 2008 American Chemical Society.

  4. Spreading of a prion domain from cell-to-cell by vesicular transport in Caenorhabditis elegans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen I Nussbaum-Krammer

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Prion proteins can adopt self-propagating alternative conformations that account for the infectious nature of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs and the epigenetic inheritance of certain traits in yeast. Recent evidence suggests a similar propagation of misfolded proteins in the spreading of pathology of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Currently there is only a limited number of animal model systems available to study the mechanisms that underlie the cell-to-cell transmission of aggregation-prone proteins. Here, we have established a new metazoan model in Caenorhabditis elegans expressing the prion domain NM of the cytosolic yeast prion protein Sup35, in which aggregation and toxicity are dependent upon the length of oligopeptide repeats in the glutamine/asparagine (Q/N-rich N-terminus. NM forms multiple classes of highly toxic aggregate species and co-localizes to autophagy-related vesicles that transport the prion domain from the site of expression to adjacent tissues. This is associated with a profound cell autonomous and cell non-autonomous disruption of mitochondrial integrity, embryonic and larval arrest, developmental delay, widespread tissue defects, and loss of organismal proteostasis. Our results reveal that the Sup35 prion domain exhibits prion-like properties when expressed in the multicellular organism C. elegans and adapts to different requirements for propagation that involve the autophagy-lysosome pathway to transmit cytosolic aggregation-prone proteins between tissues.

  5. Spongiform leucoencephalopathy following intravenous heroin abuse: Radiological and histopathological findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robertson, A.S.; Jain, S.; O'Neil, R.A.

    2001-01-01

    A case of spongiform leucoencephalopathy in a known intravenous heroin abuser is presented. To our knowledge, this is the only case of heroin-related spongiform leucoencephalopathy reported in Australia. The relationship to intravenous rather than inhaled heroin is particularly unusual with only one other possible case documented in the literature. The imaging and histopathological findings are described. Neurological examination revealed disorientation in time and place, memory loss and cognitive impairment but no focal signs. Biochemical and haematological profiles were normal. Viral serology was positive for hepatitis C but negative for hepatitis B and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Cerebral CT revealed diffuse symmetrical hypodensity of the cerebral white matter. The ventricles and subarachnoid spaces were of normal size. Magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse symmetrical signal abnormality in the cerebral white matter. These changes were hyperintense on proton density, T2-weighted, modified T2-weighted (FLAIR) and diffusion-weighted images. T1 -weighted scans showed corresponding hypointensity. There was no enhancement after intravenous gadolinium. Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) specimens were negative for a variety of virological, immunological and bacteriological markers. No viral or bacterial growth was demonstrated. Oligoclonal bands for multiple sclerosis and Protein 134 for Wilson's disease were negative. Right frontal brain biopsy showed spongiform white matter and degenerative change with prominent fibrous gliosis. In severely affected areas, loss of normal myelin staining and axonal loss were present, accompanied by scattered foamy macrophages. Loss of oligodendroglial nuclei was also present. There was no evidence of inflammation or progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy. No bacteria or virus particles were seen on electron microscopic examination of the brain tissue. Following the biopsy, the patient discharged himself from hospital and the

  6. 76 FR 1592 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-11

    ... technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk... meat products produced by the use of AMR systems is free from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE...

  7. 76 FR 45259 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Substances...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-28

    ... of information technology. Substances Prohibited From Use in Animal Food or Feed--21 CFR Part 589 (OMB Control Number 0910-0627)--(Extension) The final rule on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE...

  8. Prions: a challenge for science, medicine and the public health system

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Rabenau, Holger F; Cinatl, Jindrich; Doerr, Hans Wilhelm

    2001-01-01

    .... With the onset of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic in Great Britain, novel infectious agents came into the public spotlight, ones that do not cause classical inflammation but a slow...

  9. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: Production and Inspection

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... are condemned and not allowed into the human food supply. The brains from animals that exhibit signs of neurological impairment during inspection are submitted for testing and analysis by the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories. [ Top of Page ] What kind of testing ...

  10. Benzodiazepine receptor antagonists for hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Als-Nielsen, B; Gluud, L L; Gluud, C

    2004-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy may be associated with accumulation of substances that bind to a receptor-complex in the brain resulting in neural inhibition. Benzodiazepine receptor antagonists may have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy.......Hepatic encephalopathy may be associated with accumulation of substances that bind to a receptor-complex in the brain resulting in neural inhibition. Benzodiazepine receptor antagonists may have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy....

  11. Unraveling Prion Protein Interactions with Aptamers and Other PrP-Binding Nucleic Acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macedo, Bruno; Cordeiro, Yraima

    2017-05-17

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders that affect humans and other mammals. The etiologic agents common to these diseases are misfolded conformations of the prion protein (PrP). The molecular mechanisms that trigger the structural conversion of the normal cellular PrP (PrP C ) into the pathogenic conformer (PrP Sc ) are still poorly understood. It is proposed that a molecular cofactor would act as a catalyst, lowering the activation energy of the conversion process, therefore favoring the transition of PrP C to PrP Sc . Several in vitro studies have described physical interactions between PrP and different classes of molecules, which might play a role in either PrP physiology or pathology. Among these molecules, nucleic acids (NAs) are highlighted as potential PrP molecular partners. In this context, the SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) methodology has proven extremely valuable to investigate PrP-NA interactions, due to its ability to select small nucleic acids, also termed aptamers, that bind PrP with high affinity and specificity. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that can be folded into a wide range of structures (from harpins to G-quadruplexes). They are selected from a nucleic acid pool containing a large number (10 14 -10 16 ) of random sequences of the same size (~20-100 bases). Aptamers stand out because of their potential ability to bind with different affinities to distinct conformations of the same protein target. Therefore, the identification of high-affinity and selective PrP ligands may aid the development of new therapies and diagnostic tools for TSEs. This review will focus on the selection of aptamers targeted against either full-length or truncated forms of PrP, discussing the implications that result from interactions of PrP with NAs, and their potential advances in the studies of prions. We will also provide a critical evaluation

  12. Advancing prion science: guidance for the National Prion Research Program

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Erdtmann, Rick; Sivitz, Laura

    2004-01-01

    In Advancing Prion Science , the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Assessment of Relevant Science recommends priorities for research and investment to the Department of Defenseâ...

  13. Subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy (Binswanger disease)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Settanni, F.; Dumont, P.; Casella, C.L.; Pascuzzi, L.; Cecilio, S.; Caldas, J.G.

    1992-01-01

    Four patients with variable clinical and tomographic features were diagnosed as having subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy (Binswanger disease). This diagnosis was done based on the presence of subacute progression of focal cerebral deficits, presence of hypertension, systemic vascular disease and dementia. The pathogenesis of subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy is unknown; possible mechanism include diffuse ischemia and fluid transudation with subsequent gliosis related to subacute hypertensive encephalopathy. (author)

  14. Mad Cow Disease

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Mad Cow Disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is one of ... humoral immunity is developed against such infections. ... Most infecti ve agents, ranging from the more complex protozoans to bacteri(! and viruses, contain nucleic.

  15. Recent advances in hepatic encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeMorrow, Sharon

    2017-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy describes the array of neurological alterations that occur during acute liver failure or chronic liver injury. While key players in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy, such as increases in brain ammonia, alterations in neurosteroid levels, and neuroinflammation, have been identified, there is still a paucity in our knowledge of the precise pathogenic mechanism. This review gives a brief overview of our understanding of the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy and then summarizes the significant recent advances made in clinical and basic research contributing to our understanding, diagnosis, and possible treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. A literature search using the PubMed database was conducted in May 2017 using “hepatic encephalopathy” as a keyword, and selected manuscripts were limited to those research articles published since May 2014. While the authors acknowledge that many significant advances have been made in the understanding of hepatic encephalopathy prior to May 2014, we have limited the scope of this review to the previous three years only. PMID:29026534

  16. Prion protein immunocytochemistry helps to establish the true incidence of prion diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lantos, P L; McGill, I S; Janota, I; Doey, L J; Collinge, J; Bruce, M T; Whatley, S A; Anderton, B H; Clinton, J; Roberts, G W

    1992-11-23

    Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Strüssler-Scheinker disease (GSSD) are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases affecting man. It has been reported that prion diseases may occur without the histological hallmarks of spongiform encephalopathies: vacuolation of the cerebral grey matter, neuronal loss and astrocytosis. These cases without characteristic neuropathology may go undiagnosed and consequently the true incidence of transmissible dementias is likely to have been under-estimated. Immunocytochemistry using antibodies to prion protein gives positive staining of these cases, albeit the pattern of immunostaining differs from that seen in typical forms. Accumulation of prion protein is a molecular hallmark of prion diseases, and thus a reproducible, speedy and cost-efficient immunocytochemical screening of unusual dementias may help to establish the true incidence of prion diseases.

  17. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in Australia: update to December 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klug, Genevieve M; Boyd, Alison; Sarros, Shannon; Stehmann, Christiane; Simpson, Marion; McLean, Catriona; Masters, Colin L; Collins, Steven J

    2016-06-30

    Nation-wide surveillance of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (also known as prion diseases), the most common being Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, is performed by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, based at the University of Melbourne. Prospective surveillance has been undertaken since 1993 and over this dynamic period in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy research and understanding, the unit has evolved and adapted to changes in surveillance practices and requirements concomitant with the emergence of new disease subtypes, improvements in diagnostic capabilities and the overall heightened awareness of prion diseases in the health care setting. In 2014, routine national surveillance continued and this brief report provides an update of the cumulative surveillance data collected by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry prospectively from 1993 to December 2014, and retrospectively to 1970.

  18. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in Australia: update to December 2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klug, Genevieve M; Boyd, Alison; Sarros, Shannon; Stehmann, Christiane; Simpson, Marion; McLean, Catriona A; Masters, Colin L; Collins, Steven J

    2016-09-30

    Nation-wide surveillance of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (also known as prion diseases), the most common being Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, is performed by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, based at the University of Melbourne. Prospective surveillance has been undertaken since 1993 and over this dynamic period in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy research and understanding, the unit has evolved and adapted to changes in surveillance practices and requirements concomitant with the delineation of new disease subtypes, improvements in diagnostic capabilities and the overall heightened awareness of prion diseases in the health care setting. In 2015, routine national surveillance continued and this brief report provides an update of the cumulative surveillance data collected by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry prospectively from 1993 to December 2015, and retrospectively to 1970.

  19. Prion remains infectious after passage through digestive system of American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kurt C VerCauteren

    Full Text Available Avian scavengers, such as American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos, have potential to translocate infectious agents (prions of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE diseases including chronic wasting disease, scrapie, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. We inoculated mice with fecal extracts obtained from 20 American crows that were force-fed material infected with RML-strain scrapie prions. These mice all evinced severe neurological dysfunction 196-231 d postinoculation (x =198; 95% CI: 210-216 and tested positive for prion disease. Our results suggest a large proportion of crows that consume prion-positive tissue are capable of passing infectious prions in their feces (ˆp=1.0; 95% CI: 0.8-1.0. Therefore, this common, migratory North American scavenger could play a role in the geographic spread of TSE diseases.

  20. Rifaximin in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iadevaia MD

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Maddalena Diana Iadevaia, Anna Del Prete, Claudia Cesaro, Laura Gaeta, Claudio Zulli, Carmelina LoguercioDepartment of Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale, F Magrassi e A Lanzara, Hepatogastroenterology Unit, Second University of Naples, Naples, ItalyAbstract: Hepatic encephalopathy is a challenging complication in patients with advanced liver disease. It can be defined as a neuropsychiatric syndrome caused by portosystemic venous shunting, ranging from minimal to overt hepatic encephalopathy or coma. Its pathophysiology is still unclear, although increased levels of ammonia play a key role. Diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy is currently based on specific tests evaluating the neuropsychiatric state of patients and their quality of life; the severity of hepatic encephalopathy is measured by the West Haven criteria. Treatment of hepatic encephalopathy consists of pharmacological and corrective measures, as well as nutritional interventions. Rifaximin received approval for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy in 2010 because of its few side effects and pharmacological benefits. The aim of this work is to review the use and efficacy of rifaximin both in acute and long-term management of hepatic encephalopathy. Treatment of overt hepatic encephalopathy involves management of the acute episode as well as maintenance of remission in those patients who have previously experienced an episode, in order to improve their quality of life. The positive effect of rifaximin in reducing health care costs is also discussed.Keywords: acute hepatic encephalopathy, recurrent hepatic encephalopathy, rifaximin, lactulose, cost, health-related quality of life

  1. Etiologic and diagnostic facets of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: The effect of genes and environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    P.J. Sánchez-Juan

    2007-01-01

    textabstractTransmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases constitute a fascinating group of neurological disorders. In spite of their rarity, their unique etiopathological mechanisms and epidemiological aspects have attracted a considerable number of researchers. This

  2. Detection of the GPI-anchorless prion protein fragment PrP226* in human brain

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dvořáková, E.; Vranac, T.; Janoušková, Olga; Černilec, M.; Koren, S.; Lukan, A.; Nováková, J.; Matej, R.; Holada, K.; Čurin Šerbec, V.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 13, 25 September (2013), 126_1-126_12 ISSN 1471-2377 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : transmissible spongiform encephalopathies * Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease * GSS Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.486, year: 2013

  3. Alkaloidal glycosidase inhibitors (AGIs) as the cause of sporadic scrapie, and the potential treatment of both transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dealler, S

    1994-02-01

    AGIs are produced by plants and microorgansims in the environment. They are absorbed from the gut, distributed throughout the body and are concentrated inside cells. AGIs alter the glycan chains of cellular glycoproteins (CGP) during their formation so that the same CGP produced by different clones of cells (and hence with different glycan chains) becomes structurally the same. Prion protein (PrP), a CGP, is rendered indestructable to cellular mechanisms (as PrPi) by the TSE infective process; it is suggested that AGIs could both cause and prevent this by altering the primary structure of PrP. HIV envelope protein, gp120, carries glycan chains that are decided by the clone of the cells by which it is produced. Each cellular clone would be expected to add a specific group of glycan chains, making the gp120 antigenically separate. As HIV infection progresses, infected clone numbers rise, the antigenic diversity of gp120 may rise as would antibody production, trying to keep pace. Antigenically stimulated CD4+ cells carrying HIV genes, increase HIV production with gp120 antigenically different from its stimulant. AGIs prevent the glycan diversity and may prevent the extension of HIV infection.

  4. Branched-chain amino acids for hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Als-Nielsen, B; Koretz, R L; Kjaergard, L L

    2003-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy may be caused by a decreased plasma ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids. Treatment with BCAA may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy.......Hepatic encephalopathy may be caused by a decreased plasma ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids. Treatment with BCAA may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy....

  5. An unusual cause of anemia and encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanjeev Kumar Sharma

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The authors present here an interesting case of recent onset anemia that was associated with an encephalopathy of the unusual cause.Although severe anemia can theoretically result in anemic hypoxia and can then lead to hypoxic encephalopathy, it is not a primary cause of encephalopathy. More frequently anemia can contribute together with other multiple causes of encephalopathy, such as infections, metabolic abnormalities, trauma, hepatic dysfunction, hypertension, toxins.

  6. Dopamine agents for hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Junker, Anders Ellekær; Als-Nielsen, Bodil; Gluud, Christian

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Patients with hepatic encephalopathy may present with extrapyramidal symptoms and changes in basal ganglia. These changes are similar to those seen in patients with Parkinson's disease. Dopamine agents (such as bromocriptine and levodopa, used for patients with Parkinson's disease) have...... therefore been assessed as a potential treatment for patients with hepatic encephalopathy. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of dopamine agents versus placebo or no intervention for patients with hepatic encephalopathy. SEARCH METHODS: Trials were identified through the Cochrane...... hepatic encephalopathy that were published during 1979 to 1982 were included. Three trials assessed levodopa, and two trials assessed bromocriptine. The mean daily dose was 4 grams for levodopa and 15 grams for bromocriptine. The median duration of treatment was 14 days (range seven to 56 days). None...

  7. [Hashimoto's encephalopathy and autoantibodies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoneda, Makoto

    2013-04-01

    Encephalopathy occasionally occurs in association with thyroid disorders, but most of these are treatable. These encephalopathies include a neuropsychiatric disorder associated with hypothyroidism, called myxedema encephalopathy. Moreover, Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) has been recognized as a new clinical disease based on an autoimmune mechanism associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Steroid treatment was successfully administered to these patients. Recently, we discovered that the serum autoantibodies against the NH2-terminal of α-enolase (NAE) are highly specific diagnostic biomarkers for HE. Further, we analyzed serum anti-NAE autoantibodies and the clinical features in many cases of HE from institutions throughout Japan and other countries. Approximately half of assessed HE patients carry anti-NAE antibodies. The age was widely distributed with 2 peaks (20-30 years and 50-70 years). Most HE patients were in euthyroid states, and all patients had anti-thyroid (TG) antibodies and anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies. Anti-TSH receptor (TSH-R) antibodies were observed in some cases. The common neuropsychiatry features are consciousness disturbance and psychosis, followed by cognitive dysfunction, involuntary movements, seizures, and ataxia. Abnormalities on electroencephalography (EEG) and decreased cerebral blood flow on brain SPECT were common findings, whereas abnormal findings on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were rare. HE patients have various clinical phenotypes such as the acute encephalopathy form, the chronic psychiatric form, and other particular clinical forms, including limbic encephalitis, progressive cerebellar ataxia, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)-like form. The cerebellar ataxic form of HE clinically mimics spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) and is characterized by the absence of nystagmus, absent or mild cerebellar atrophy, and lazy background activities on EEG. Taken together, these data suggest that the possibility of

  8. Genetic, histochemical and biochemical studies on goat TSE cases from Cyprus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niedermeyer, Susanne; Eiden, Martin; Toumazos, Pavlos; Papasavva-Stylianou, Penelope; Ioannou, Ioannis; Sklaviadis, Theodoros; Panagiotidis, Cynthia; Langeveld, Jan; Bossers, Alex; Kuczius, Thorsten; Kaatz, Martin; Groschup, Martin H; Fast, Christine

    2016-10-06

    Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE's) affecting sheep and goats. Susceptibility of goats to scrapie is influenced by polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (PRNP) of the host. Five polymorphisms are associated with reduced susceptibility to TSE's. In the study presented here caprine samples from a scrapie eradication program on Cyprus were genotyped and further characterized using BioRad TeSeE rapid test, histological, immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. In total 42 goats from 20 flocks were necropsied from which 25 goats showed a positive result in the rapid test, a spongiform encephalopathy and an accumulation of pathological prion protein (PrP Sc ) in the obex. PrP Sc deposits were demonstrated in the placenta, peripheral nervous and lymphoreticular system. Two animals showed PrP Sc -accumulations in peripheral tissues only. By discriminatory immunoblots a scrapie infection could be confirmed for all cases. Nevertheless, slight deviations in the glycosylation pattern might indicate the presence of different scrapie strains. Furthermore scrapie samples from goats in the current study demonstrated less long term resistance to proteinase K than ovine or caprine BSE control samples. Reduced scrapie susceptibility according to the PRNP genotype was demonstrated (Fishers Exact test, p goats with at least one polymorphism (p = 0.023) at the six codons examined and in particular for those with polymorphisms at codon 146 (p = 0.016). This work characterizes scrapie in goats having implications for breeding and surveillance strategies.

  9. Screening of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groeneweg, M; Moerland, W; Quero, J C; Hop, W C; Krabbe, P F; Schalm, S W

    BACKGROUND/AIMS: Subclinical hepatic encephalopathy adversely affects daily functioning. The aim of this study was to determine which elements of daily life have predictive value for subclinical hepatic encephalopathy. METHODS: The study was performed in 179 outpatients with liver cirrhosis.

  10. Prion protein β2-α2 loop conformational landscape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldarulo, Enrico; Barducci, Alessandro; Wüthrich, Kurt; Parrinello, Michele

    2017-09-05

    In transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which are lethal neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and a wide range of other mammalian species, the normal "cellular" prion protein ([Formula: see text]) is transformed into amyloid aggregates representing the "scrapie form" of the protein ([Formula: see text]). Continued research on this system is of keen interest, since new information on the physiological function of [Formula: see text] in healthy organisms is emerging, as well as new data on the mechanism of the transformation of [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] In this paper we used two different approaches: a combination of the well-tempered ensemble (WTE) and parallel tempering (PT) schemes and metadynamics (MetaD) to characterize the conformational free-energy surface of [Formula: see text] The focus of the data analysis was on an 11-residue polypeptide segment in mouse [Formula: see text](121-231) that includes the [Formula: see text]2-[Formula: see text]2 loop of residues 167-170, for which a correlation between structure and susceptibility to prion disease has previously been described. This study includes wild-type mouse [Formula: see text] and a variant with the single-residue replacement Y169A. The resulting detailed conformational landscapes complement in an integrative manner the available experimental data on [Formula: see text], providing quantitative insights into the nature of the structural transition-related function of the [Formula: see text]2-[Formula: see text]2 loop.

  11. Ante-mortem detection of chronic wasting disease in recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues from elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) using real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay: A blinded collaborative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manne, Sireesha; Kondru, Naveen; Nichols, Tracy; Lehmkuhl, Aaron; Thomsen, Bruce; Main, Rodger; Halbur, Patrick; Dutta, Somak; Kanthasamy, Anumantha G

    2017-11-02

    Prion diseases are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) characterized by fatal, progressive neurologic diseases with prolonged incubation periods and an accumulation of infectious misfolded prion proteins. Antemortem diagnosis is often difficult due to a long asymptomatic incubation period, differences in the pathogenesis of different prions, and the presence of very low levels of infectious prion in easily accessible samples. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a TSE affecting both wild and captive populations of cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, muntjac, and most recently, wild reindeer. This study represents a well-controlled evaluation of a newly developed real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay as a potential CWD diagnostic screening test using rectal biopsy sections from a depopulated elk herd. We evaluated 69 blinded samples of recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) obtained from USDA Veterinary Services. The results were later un-blinded and statistically compared to immunohistochemical (IHC) results from the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) for RAMALT, obex, and medial retropharyngeal lymph node (MRPLN). Comparison of RAMALT RT-QuIC assay results with the IHC results of RAMALT revealed 92% relative sensitivity (95% confidence limits: 61.52-99.8%) and 95% relative specificity (95% confidence limits: 85.13-99%). Collectively, our results show a potential utility of the RT-QuIC assay to advance the development of a rapid, sensitive, and specific prion diagnostic assay for CWD prions.

  12. Sheep scrapie susceptibility-linked polymorphisms do not modulate the initial binding of cellular to disease-associated prion protein prior to conversion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rigter, A.; Bossers, A.

    2005-01-01

    Conversion of the host-encoded protease-sensitive cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the scrapie-associated protease-resistant isoform (PrPSc) of prion protein (PrP) is the central event in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases. Differences in transmissibility and

  13. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Plan Long-Term Considerations Patient Support Finding Support Services Peer Support Groups Financial Assistance Support for My ... is Hepatic Encephalopathy? Why Your Liver is ...

  14. Hashimoto's encephalopathy : epidemiology, pathogenesis and management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mocellin, Ramon; Walterfang, Mark; Velakoulis, Dennis

    2007-01-01

    Hashimoto's encephalopathy is a term used to describe an encephalopathy of presumed autoimmune origin characterised by high titres of antithyroid peroxidase antibodies. In a similar fashion to autoimmune thyroid disease, Hashimoto's encephalopathy is more common in women than in men. It has been reported in paediatric, adult and elderly populations throughout the world. The clinical presentation may involve a relapsing and remitting course and include seizures, stroke-like episodes, cognitive decline, neuropsychiatric symptoms and myoclonus. Thyroid function is usually clinically and biochemically normal.Hashimoto's encephalopathy appears to be a rare disorder, but, as it is responsive to treatment with corticosteroids, it must be considered in cases of 'investigation negative encephalopathies'. Diagnosis is made in the first instance by excluding other toxic, metabolic and infectious causes of encephalopathy with neuroimaging and CSF examination. Neuroimaging findings are often not helpful in clarifying the diagnosis. Common differential diagnoses when these conditions are excluded are Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, rapidly progressive dementias, and paraneoplastic and nonparaneoplastic limbic encephalitis. In the context of the typical clinical picture, high titres of antithyroid antibodies, in particular antithyroid peroxidase antibodies, are diagnostic. These antibodies, however, can be detected in elevated titres in the healthy general population. Treatment with corticosteroids is almost always successful, although relapse may occur if this treatment is ceased abruptly. Other forms of immunomodulation, such as intravenous immune-globulin and plasma exchange, may also be effective. Despite the link to autoimmune thyroid disease, the aetiology of Hashimoto's encephalopathy is unknown. It is likely that antithyroid antibodies are not pathogenic, but titres can be a marker of treatment response. Pathological findings can suggest an inflammatory process, but features

  15. Diagnostic and prognostic factors for acute encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motojima, Yukiko; Nagura, Michiaki; Asano, Yoshitaka; Arakawa, Hiroshi; Takada, Eiko; Sakurai, Yoshio; Moriwaki, Koichi; Tamura, Masanori

    2016-11-01

    Acute encephalopathy has the possibility of sequelae. While early treatment is required to prevent the development of sequelae, differential diagnosis is of the utmost priority. The aim of this study was therefore to identify parameters that can facilitate early diagnosis and prediction of outcome of acute encephalopathy. We reviewed the medical charts of inpatients from 2005 to 2011 and identified 33 patients with febrile status epilepticus. Subjects were classified into an acute encephalopathy group (n = 20) and a febrile convulsion group (n = 13), and the parameters serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ammonia (NH 3 ), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau protein, and CSF interleukin-6 compared between them. Furthermore, the relationship between each parameter and prognosis was investigated in the encephalopathy group. Significant differences in serum AST, ALT, and LDH were observed between the febrile convulsion and acute encephalopathy group. Moreover, a significant difference in serum LDH was noted between the patients with and without developmental regression at the time of hospital discharge in the encephalopathy group. In particular, CSF tau protein was found to be highly likely to indicate progress, with CSF tau protein >1000 pg/dL associated with poor prognosis leading to developmental regression. Serum AST, ALT and LDH may be related to early diagnosis and prognosis, and should be carefully investigated in patients with encephalopathy. CSF tau protein could also be used as an indicator of poor prognosis in acute encephalopathy. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

  16. Primary transmission of chronic wasting disease versus scrapie prions from small ruminants to transgenic mice expressing ovine and cervid prion protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Identifying transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) reservoirs that could lead to disease re-emergence is imperative to U.S. scrapie eradication efforts. Transgenic mice expressing the cervid (TgElk) or ovine (Tg338) prion protein have aided characterization of chronic wasting disease (CWD) an...

  17. Efficacy of antemortem rectal biopsies to diagnose and estimate prevalence of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of captive and free ranging cervid ruminants. Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) are a free-ranging species of large cervid with a habitat that includes large US national parks. Minimally ...

  18. Validation of Use of Rectoanal Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue for Immunohistochemical Diagnosis of Chronic Wasting Disease in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

    Science.gov (United States)

    The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are a family of fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by accumulation of abnormal prion proteins in the brain. The abnormal prion protein is the major constituent of the infectious agent and is a reliable marker for disease. The occurrence of ...

  19. Does aetiology of neonatal encephalopathy and hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy influence the outcome of treatment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcintyre, Sarah; Badawi, Nadia; Blair, Eve; Nelson, Karin B

    2015-04-01

    Neonatal encephalopathy, a clinical syndrome affecting term-born and late preterm newborn infants, increases the risk of perinatal death and long-term neurological morbidity, especially cerebral palsy. With the advent of therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment designed for hypoxic or ischaemic injury, associated mortality and morbidity rates have decreased. Unfortunately, only about one in eight neonates (95% confidence interval) who meet eligibility criteria for therapeutic cooling apparently benefit from the treatment. Studies of infants in representative populations indicate that neonatal encephalopathy is a potential result of a variety of antecedents and that asphyxial complications at birth account for only a small percentage of neonatal encephalopathy. In contrast, clinical case series suggest that a large proportion of neonatal encephalopathy is hypoxic or ischaemic, and trials of therapeutic hypothermia are specifically designed to include only infants exposed to hypoxia or ischaemia. This review addresses the differences, definitional and methodological, between infants studied and investigations undertaken, in population studies compared with cooling trials. It raises the question if there may be subgroups of infants with a clinical diagnosis of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) in whom the pathobiology of neonatal neurological depression is not fundamentally hypoxic or ischaemic and, therefore, for whom cooling may not be beneficial. In addition, it suggests approaches to future trials of cooling plus adjuvant therapy that may contribute to further improvement of care for these vulnerable neonates. © The Authors. Journal compilation © 2015 Mac Keith Press.

  20. Encephalopathy and liver transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chavarria, Laia; Cordoba, Juan

    2013-06-01

    Liver transplantation (LT) candidates experience frequently episodic or persistent hepatic encephalopathy. In addition, these patients can exhibit neurological comorbidities that contribute to cognitive impairment in the pre-transplant period. Assessment of the respective contribution of hepatic encephalopathy or comorbidities in the cognitive manifestations is critical to estimate the neurological benefits of restoring liver function. Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy are useful to assess the impact of liver failure or comorbidities. This assessment is critical to decide liver transplant in difficult cases. In the early postoperative period, LT is commonly complicated by a confusional syndrome. The possible role of persisting hepatic encephalopathy in its development has not been clearly established. The origin is usually considered multifactorial and relates to complications following LT, such as infections, rejection, primary liver dysfunction, immunosuppressors, etc.… The diagnosis and treatment is based in the recognition of comorbidities and optimal care of metabolic disturbances. Several studies have demonstrated recovery of cognitive function after LT in patients that have exhibited hepatic encephalopathy. However, some deficits may persist specifically among patients with persistent HE. Other factors present before LT that contribute to a worse neuropsychological outcome after LT are diabetes mellitus and alcohol consumption. Long-term after LT, cognitive function may worsen in relation to vascular risk factors.

  1. Hashimoto's encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Montagna, Giacomo; Imperiali, Mauro; Agazzi, Pamela

    2016-01-01

    Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a rare not well understood, progressive and relapsing multiform disease, characterized by seizures, movement disorders, subacute cognitive dysfunction, psychiatric symptoms and responsiveness to steroid therapy. The disorder is generally associated with thyroid ...... diseases and the most common feature is the presence of anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb). Patients are usually euthyroid or mildly hypothyroid at presentation. All age groups can be affected. The pathophysiology is still unclear, especially the link between elevated serum TPOAb...... and the encephalopathy. Most reported cases occurred in women and girls. Unspecific symptoms, non-pathognomonic laboratory neurophysiology and neuroimaging features make its diagnosis a real challenge for clinicians.The case of a 16 year old boy, with a clinical picture of HE associated with hypothyroidism...

  2. Transient Cardiac Arrest in Patient With Left Ventricular Noncompaction (Spongiform Cardiomyopathy)

    OpenAIRE

    Yamazaki, Shinya; Ito, Hiroshi; Kawaai, Hiroyoshi

    2011-01-01

    Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC), also known as spongiform cardiomyopathy, is a severe disease that has not previously been discussed with respect to general anesthesia. We treated a child with LVNC who experienced cardiac arrest. Dental treatment under general anesthesia was scheduled because the patient had a risk of endocarditis due to dental caries along with a history of being uncooperative for dental care. During sevoflurane induction, severe hypotension and laryngospasm resulted i...

  3. Association between Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and Hepatic Encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Behroozian, R.; Faramarzpur, M.; Rahimi, E.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: The knowledge on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) contribution in the pathology of the liver and biliary tract diseases in human is very limited. The aim of this study was to assess the probable association between H. pylori seropositivity and hepatic encephalopathy. Methodology: This is a case control study conducted through three groups, cirrhotics with hepatic encephalopathy (HE), cirrhotics without HE and healthy controls. All subjects were examined serologically for determination of IgG class antibodies to H. pylori based on ELISA technique. Results: H. pylori seropositivity was present in 88% cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy, 86% cirrhotics without hepatic encephalopathy and 66% healthy controls. Conclusion: According to our results, H. pylori seropositivity rate in cirrhotic patients with or without hepatic encephalopathy was higher than healthy controls. But H. pylori seropositivity rate was not significantly different among cirrhotics with hepatic encephalopathy and those without it.

  4. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Get Worse? How is HE Diagnosed? Prior to Treatment Who treats HE? Preparing for your Medical Appointment Hepatic Encephalopathy Treatment Options Treatment Basics Treatment Medications Importance of Adhering ...

  5. Memantine, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist improves hyperammonemia-induced encephalopathy and acute hepatic encephalopathy in rats

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vogels, B. A.; Maas, M. A.; Daalhuisen, J.; Quack, G.; Chamuleau, R. A.

    1997-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor overactivity in two different experimental rat models of encephalopathy: subacute encephalopathy caused by severe hyperammonemia in portacaval-shunted rats (AI-PCS rats) and acute hepatic

  6. Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy in a patient with liver cirrhosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheong, Hyeong Cheol; Jeong, Taek Geun; Cho, Young Bum; Yang, Bong Joon; Kim, Tae Hyeon; Kim, Haak Cheoul; Cho, Eun-Young

    2011-06-01

    Encephalopathy is a disorder characterized by altered brain function, which can be attributed to various causes. Encephalopathy associated with metronidazole administration occurs rarely and depends on the cumulative metronidazole dose, and most patients with this condition recover rapidly after discontinuation of therapy. Because metronidazole is metabolized in the liver and can be transported by the cerebrospinal fluid and cross the blood-brain barrier, it may induce encephalopathy even at a low cumulative dose in patients with hepatic dysfunction. We experienced a patient who showed ataxic gait and dysarthric speech after receiving metronidazole for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy that was not controlled by the administration of lactulose. The patient was diagnosed as metronidazole-induced encephalopathy, and stopping drug administration resulted in a complete recovery from encephalopathy. This case shows that caution should be exercised when administering metronidazole because even a low dose can induce encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis.

  7. Quantifying the relative amounts of PrP polymorphisms present in prions isolated from heterozygous prion-infected animals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prions cause protein misfolding diseases, such as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. They propagate infections by converting a normal cellular prion protein into a prion (PrPSc). PrPC and PrPSc are isosequential and differ only in their respective conformations. PrPC is monomeric and sensit...

  8. Characterisation of new monoclonal antibodies reacting with prions from both human and animal brain tissues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvass, Henriette Cordes; Bergström, Ann-Louise; Ohm, Jakob

    2008-01-01

    spongiform encephalopathy (bovine brain), scrapie (ovine brain) and experimental scrapie in hamster and in mice. The antibodies were also used for PET-blotting in which PrPSc blotted from brain tissue sections onto a nitrocellulose membrane is visualized with antibodies after protease and denaturant...

  9. Inhibition of protease-resistant prion protein formation in a transformed deer cell line infected with chronic wasting disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Raymond, G.J.; Olsen, E.A.; Lee, K.S.; Raymond, L.D.; Bryant, P.K.; Baron, G.S.; Caughey, W.S.; Kocisko, D.A.; McHolland, L.E.; Favara, C.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Zijderveld, van F.G.; Mayer, R.T.; Miller, M.W.; Williams, E.S.; Caughey, B.

    2006-01-01

    Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (prion disease) of North American cervids, i.e., mule deer, white-tailed deer, and elk (wapiti). To facilitate in vitro studies of CWD, we have developed a transformed deer cell line that is persistently infected

  10. Resistance to chronic wasting disease in transgenic mice expressing a naturally occurring allelic variant of deer prion protein

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meade-White, K.; Race, B.; Trifilo, M.; Bossers, A.; Favara, C.; Lacasse, R.; Miller, M.; Williams, E.; Oldstone, M.; Race, R.; Chesebro, B.

    2007-01-01

    Prion protein (PrP) is a required factor for susceptibility to transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion diseases. In transgenic mice, expression of prion protein (PrP) from another species often confers susceptibility to prion disease from that donor species. For example, expression of deer

  11. Autism spectrum disorder and epileptic encephalopathy: common causes, many questions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Siddharth; Sahin, Mustafa

    2017-01-01

    Epileptic encephalopathies represent a particularly severe form of epilepsy, associated with cognitive and behavioral deficits, including impaired social-communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors that are the hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With the advent of next-generation sequencing, the genetic landscape of epileptic encephalopathies is growing and demonstrates overlap with genes separately implicated in ASD. However, many questions remain about this connection, including whether epileptiform activity itself contributes to the development of ASD symptomatology. In this review, we compiled a database of genes associated with both epileptic encephalopathy and ASD, limiting our purview to Mendelian disorders not including inborn errors of metabolism, and we focused on the connection between ASD and epileptic encephalopathy rather than epilepsy broadly. Our review has four goals: to (1) discuss the overlapping presentations of ASD and monogenic epileptic encephalopathies; (2) examine the impact of the epilepsy itself on neurocognitive features, including ASD, in monogenic epileptic encephalopathies; (3) outline many of the genetic causes responsible for both ASD and epileptic encephalopathy; (4) provide an illustrative example of a final common pathway that may be implicated in both ASD and epileptic encephalopathy. We demonstrate that autistic features are a common association with monogenic epileptic encephalopathies. Certain epileptic encephalopathy syndromes, like infantile spasms, are especially linked to the development of ASD. The connection between seizures themselves and neurobehavioral deficits in these monogenic encephalopathies remains open to debate. Finally, advances in genetics have revealed many genes that overlap in ties to both ASD and epileptic encephalopathy and that play a role in diverse central nervous system processes. Increased attention to the autistic features of monogenic epileptic encephalopathies is warranted for

  12. Hepatic encephalopathy. Imaging Findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carrillo, Maria Claudia; Bermudez Munoz, Sonia; J Morillo, Anibal

    2007-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy occurs in patients with chronic hepatic insufficiency and can produce abnormalities in the central nervous system, which can be observed in MRI studies. Traditionally, these imaging findings include symmetrical hyper intensities in T1-weighted sequences in the basal ganglia (mainly globus pallidus), involving also the substantia nigra, mesencephalic tegmentum, frontal and occipital cortex. These areas appear of normal intensity in T2-weighted imaging sequences. Other entities that can lead to similar findings include manganese intoxication and type-1 neurofibromatosis. Currently, with the advent of MR spectroscopy, abnormalities in patients with clinical and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy have been described. After hepatic transplantation, hyper intensities of the basal ganglia and the MR spectroscopic findings may disappear within 3 months to 1 year, suggesting a functional, more than a structural damage. This article will demonstrate the MR findings of patients with hepatic encephalopathy due to chronic hepatic insufficiency.

  13. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... to continue to work to my full capacity? Will I be able to drive? Patient Stories Angie M. Caregiver for Brother Charles DiAngelo Hepatic Encephalopathy Jason Dedmon Alcohol-related Cirrhosis ...

  14. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... responsible for the daily needs of another person. Caregivers can be a friend, spouse, life partner, parent, sibling or other family member. What is HE? Hepatic Encephalopathy, sometimes referred to as ...

  15. Hashimoto's encephalopathy: Report of three cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan-Shun Chang

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Both severe thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism may affect brain function and cause a change in consciousness, as seen with a thyroid storm or myxedema coma. However, encephalopathy may also develop in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases independent of actual thyroid function level, and this is known as Hashimoto's encephalopathy. Although most patients are found to have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, less frequently they have Graves' disease. Clinical manifestations include epilepsy, disturbance of consciousness, cognitive impairment, memory loss, myoclonus, hallucinations, stroke-like episodes, tremor, involuntary movements, language impairment, and gait impairment. Hashimoto's encephalopathy is a relatively rare disease. As a good response can be obtained with corticosteroid therapy, early diagnosis and treatment is very beneficial for patients. Here we report three patients with Hashimoto's encephalopathy with typical manifestations of hallucinations that were associated with hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and euthyroid status, respectively. They all showed a dramatic response to methylprednisolone pulse therapy.

  16. Wernicke encephalopathy in a patient with liver failure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Pan; Zhao, Yanling; Wei, Zhenman; Chen, Jing; Yan, Lilong

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Early recognition and diagnosis of Wernicke encephalopathy is pivotal for the prognosis of this medical emergency, especially in patients with liver failure which predisposes individuals to develop hepatic encephalopathy. For these patients, distinguishing between hepatic encephalopathy and Wernicke encephalopathy is a challenge in real-world clinical practice. A male patient with 21-year medical history of liver cirrhosis presented diarrhea and ascites. One month before this visit, he was noted to have poor appetite and progressive fatigue. After admission, although several major symptoms, including diarrhea, ascites, hyponatremia, and hypoproteinemia, were greatly improved through appropriate treatments, his laboratory indicators were not changed much. His appetite was not reversed at discharge. On the 5th day after discharge, the patient suddenly became reluctant to speak and did not remember the recent happenings. Simultaneously, unsteady gait and strabismus occurred. On the basis of clinical manifestations and brain magnetic resonance imaging scan results, the patient was diagnosed as Wernicke encephalopathy and these relative symptoms were resolved after intravenous vitamin B1. To our knowledge, this is the second case report of Wernicke encephalopathy developing in a critically ill cirrhotic patient without hepatocellular carcinoma or operative intervention. Wernicke encephalopathy may be underdiagnosed in these patients and this case raises physicians’ awareness of its possible onset. PMID:27399058

  17. Computerized tomography in acute toxic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoki, Nobuhiko; Kaneshi, Kunio; Mizuguchi, Masashi; Kurihara, Eiji.

    1983-01-01

    We experienced three cases of acute toxic encephalopathy, including a case of probable Reye syndrome, which had similar and unique CT findings in their acute stage; symmetrical low density area in the thalamus and the dentate nucleus, followed by changes in cerebellar hemispheres and around lateral ventricles. The CT findings, common to probable Reye syndrome and other acute toxic encephalopathy, may suggest the possibility of similar pathogenesis of brain damage in both disorders. The authors propose that present cases are a new subgroup in acute toxic encephalopathy, because of their similar and unique CT features. (author)

  18. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... to Treatment Who treats HE? Preparing for your Medical Appointment Hepatic Encephalopathy Treatment Options Treatment Basics Treatment ... treatment. Being a fully-informed participant in your medical care is an important factor in staying as ...

  19. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... your body when your liver isn’t working well, it may affect your brain and cause HE. ... it apparent that the liver is not doing well. These could be the symptoms of Hepatic Encephalopathy ( ...

  20. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... build-up and painful swelling of the legs (edema) and abdomen (ascites) or hepatic encephalopathy. For more ... build up and painful swelling of the legs (edema) and abdomen (ascites) Bruising and bleeding easily Enlarged ...

  1. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... People ALF Near You Events ALF Blogs Financial Information Policies Advocacy Patient Advisory Council Media Center Careers ... and abdomen (ascites) or hepatic encephalopathy. For more information about cirrhosis of the liver and symptoms, call ...

  2. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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  3. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... Related Liver Disease Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Autoimmune Hepatitis Benign Liver Tumors Biliary Atresia Cirrhosis of the ... Disease Type 1 (von Gierke) Hemochromatosis Hepatic Encephalopathy Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Intrahepatic Cholestasis of ...

  4. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... Patient Advisory Council Media Center Careers How You Can Help OVERVIEW Donate Now Join an Event Volunteer ... Hepatic Encephalopathy is a short-term problem that can be corrected . It may also occur as part ...

  5. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... Hemochromatosis Hepatic Encephalopathy Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) Jaundice In Newborns ... are the common causes of cirrhosis? Hepatitis B & C Alcohol-related Liver Disease Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver ...

  6. Temporal and spatial relationship between the death of PrP-damaged neurones and microglial activation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bate, C.; Boshuizen, R.S.; Langeveld, J.P.M.; Williams, A.

    2002-01-01

    Previous studies have demonstrated a role for microglia in the neuronal loss that occurs in the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases. In the present studies, the processes that lead to the death of neurones treated with synthetic peptides derived from the prion protein (PrP)

  7. Caprine prion genen polymorphisms are associated with decreased incidence of classical scrapie in goat herds in the United Kingdom.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Goldmann, W.; Ryan, K.; Stewart, P.; Parnham, D.; Xicohtencatl, R.; Fernandez, N.; Saunders, G.; Windl, O.; Gonzalez, L.; Bossers, A.

    2011-01-01

    The application of genetic breeding programmes to eradicate transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in goats is an important aim for reasons of animal welfare as well as human food safety and food security. Based on the positive impact of Prnp genetics on sheep scrapie in Europe in the past

  8. Survival analysis of HIV-infected patients under antiretroviral ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    admin

    taking ART based on data obtained from Armed Forces Teaching and General ... bovine spongiform encephalopathy/variant Creutzfeld- ... development and also challenged the severely constrained health care system of the country. ... Using a cross-sectional national data (1) a very high ART .... This process gave rise to.

  9. Goats singly heterozygous for PRNP S146 or K222 orally inoculated with classical scrapie at birth show no disease at ages well beyond six years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of sheep and goats, and scrapie eradication programs in many parts of the world rely on strong genetic resistance to classical scrapie in sheep. However, the utility of putative resistance alleles in goats has been a focus of research because goat...

  10. Extended scrapie incubation time in goats singly heterozygous for PRNP S146 or K222

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scrapie is the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of sheep and goats, and scrapie eradication in sheep is based in part on strong genetic resistance to classical scrapie. Goats may serve as a scrapie reservoir, and to date there has been no experimental inoculation confirming strong genet...

  11. Antemortem detection of chronic wasting disease prions in nasal brush collections and rectal biopsies from white-tailed deer by real time quaking-induced conversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids, was first documented nearly fifty years ago in Colorado and Wyoming and has since spread to cervids in 23 states, 2 Canadian provinces, and the Republic of Korea. The increasing expansion of this disease makes the d...

  12. Review on the epidemiology and dynamics of BSE epidemics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ducrot, C.; Calavas, D.; Arnold, M.; Koeijer, de A.A.; Heim, D.

    2008-01-01

    The paper describes how the comprehensive surveillance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and studies carried out on these data has enhanced our knowledge of the epidemiology of BSE. Around 7 000 BSE cases were detected through the screening of about 50 million cattle with rapid tests in

  13. Progressive fatal dementia (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) in a patient who received homograft tissue for tympanic membrane closure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tange, R. A.; Troost, D.; Limburg, M.

    1990-01-01

    We report the case history of a 54-year-old man who developed a fatal neurological disorder 4 years after a successful tympanoplasty with homograft pericardium. The final diagnosis of this case was Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This infectious spongiform encephalopathy is probably caused by a slow

  14. Agroterrorism: Minimizing the Consequences of Intentionally Introduced Foreign Animal Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    commodities and other regulated articles. 16 discounts.42 For example, prior to the discovery of Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in December...report 1,000 pounds/head of lost milk production.62 (3) Most producers cull thirty-three percent of their herds because of permanent mastitis . Fifty

  15. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... friend, spouse, life partner, parent, sibling or other family member. What is HE? Hepatic Encephalopathy, sometimes referred ... disease is. It’s important for you and your family to become familiar with the signs of Hepatic ...

  16. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... important for you and your family to become familiar with the signs of Hepatic Encephalopathy so you ... team evaluates the person’s overall physical and mental health, plan to pay for transplant related medical expenses, ...

  17. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... become familiar with the signs of Hepatic Encephalopathy so you can tell your doctor right away if ... with continuous treatment, HE can usually be controlled. So it’s important to tell your doctor about any ...

  18. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... Hepatic Encephalopathy so you can tell your doctor right away if you think you may have it. ... Site Map © COPYRIGHT 2017 AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Your Liver Overview

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  19. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... Hepatic Encephalopathy Treatment Options Treatment Basics Treatment Medications Importance of Adhering to Your Treatment Plan Long-Term Considerations Patient Support Finding Support Services Peer Support Groups Financial Assistance Support for My Loved Ones Resources Find ...

  20. Qualifying and quantifying minimal hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Morgan, Marsha Y; Amodio, Piero; Cook, Nicola A

    2016-01-01

    Minimal hepatic encephalopathy is the term applied to the neuropsychiatric status of patients with cirrhosis who are unimpaired on clinical examination but show alterations in neuropsychological tests exploring psychomotor speed/executive function and/or in neurophysiological variables. There is ......Minimal hepatic encephalopathy is the term applied to the neuropsychiatric status of patients with cirrhosis who are unimpaired on clinical examination but show alterations in neuropsychological tests exploring psychomotor speed/executive function and/or in neurophysiological variables...... analytical techniques may provide better diagnostic information while the advent of portable wireless headsets may facilitate more widespread use. A large number of other diagnostic tools have been validated for the diagnosis of minimal hepatic encephalopathy including Critical Flicker Frequency......, the Inhibitory Control Test, the Stroop test, the Scan package and the Continuous Reaction Time; each has its pros and cons; strengths and weaknesses; protagonists and detractors. Recent AASLD/EASL Practice Guidelines suggest that the diagnosis of minimal hepatic encephalopathy should be based on the PHES test...

  1. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy: The unknown disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Pérez, R; Paredes, I; Munarriz, P M; Paredes, B; Alén, J F

    2017-04-01

    Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative disease produced by accumulated minor traumatic brain injuries; no definitive premortem diagnosis and no treatments are available for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Risk factors associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy include playing contact sports, presence of the apolipoprotein E4, and old age. Although it shares certain histopathological findings with Alzheimer disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy has a more specific presentation (hyperphosphorylated tau protein deposited as neurofibrillary tangles, associated with neuropil threads and sometimes with beta-amyloid plaques). Its clinical presentation is insidious; patients show mild cognitive and emotional symptoms before progressing to parkinsonian motor signs and finally dementia. Results from new experimental diagnostic tools are promising, but these tools are not yet available. The mainstay of managing this disease is prevention and early detection of its first symptoms. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  2. Neuropathology of organophosphate poisoning in dairy cattle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulvian Sani

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate pathological changes in brain tissues of Frisien Holstein dairy cattle affected by organophosphate (OP. The study was directed to anticipate spongiform encephalopathy. Samples consisted of animal feeds, sera and brain tissues were collected from Lembang, West Java. Animal feeds (fodders and commercial feed were collected directly from the dairy farms around Lembang. Sera (31 samples were from dairy cattle owned by the local farmers and brain tissues were from the local animal slaughter house. Pesticide residues were analysed following a standard procedure using gas chromatography (GC. There was an interaction between pesticide residues in animal feeds, residue level of pesticides in sera and brain tissues to cause encephalopathy in dairy cattle. Pesticide contamination in animal feeds was regarded as the source of encephalopathy in dairy cattle. The total average of OP residues (16.8 ppb were lower than organochlorines/OC (18.7 ppb in fodder, showing that pesticides were originated from the contaminated soils. On the other hand, the total average of OP residues in commercial feeds (12.0 ppb, sera (85.6 ppb and brain tissues (22.7 ppb were higher than OC (1.8; 16.7; and 5.1 ppb. The OP appears more frequently used for dairy farm activity as insecticides. Histopathological examination for brain tissues of dairy cattle showed that most cattle were diagnosed as encephalopathy with microscopic changes of vacuolation, neuronal necrosis, chromatolysis of neurons and nucleolysis of neurons. The encephalopathy was confirmed in rats intoxicated with chlorpyrifos methyl as severe brain damage with spongiform-like lesions.

  3. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... Hepatic Encephalopathy so you can tell your doctor right away if you think you may have it. ... American Liver Foundation © 2018 American Liver Foundation. All rights reserved. Funding for the HE123 - Diagnosis, Treatment and ...

  4. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... Symptoms to look for Caregiver Support Caregiver Stories Home › What is Hepatic Encephalopathy? Why Your Liver is ... questions about HE, one step at a time. Home About Us Ways to Give Contact Us Privacy ...

  5. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... bad. It sends the good things – such as vitamins and nutrients – into your bloodstream for your body ... for Wife Joyce O. Caregiver for Mother Lynette K. Hepatic Encephalopathy Samantha W. Caregiver for Husband Stan ...

  6. Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    Full Text Available ... 1 (von Gierke) Hemochromatosis Hepatic Encephalopathy Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) Jaundice ... diseases. What are the common causes of cirrhosis? Hepatitis B & C Alcohol-related Liver Disease Non-alcoholic Fatty ...

  7. MRI finding of ethylmalonic encephalopathy: case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jin Yong; Lee, Shi Kyung; Han, Chun Hwan; Rho, Eun Jin

    2002-01-01

    Ethylmalonic encephalopathy is a rare syndrom characterized by developmental delay, acrocyanosis, petechiae, chronic diarrhea, and ethylmalonic, lactic, and methylsuccinic aciduria. We report the MRI finding of ethylmalonic encephalopathy including previously unreported intracranial hematoma

  8. Food risks and consumer trust : European governance of Avian influenza

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krom, de M.P.M.M.

    2010-01-01

    During the 1990s, many European countries faced one or more food crises, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), E. coli, dioxin residues, and foot-and-mouth disease. These crises were marked by a growing public recognition of food-related risks and the changing nature of these risks, and

  9. Thought for food (safety) in the EU: a discourse-analytical approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paul, K.T.

    2008-01-01

    This paper seeks to explain the development of a transnational food safety policy approach in the context of the European Union (EU). The diverse reactions to the series of food scares over the past decade, such as the discovery of the link between BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) and the

  10. Specificity of a novel TaqMan PCR method for detection of poultry DNA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scholtens-Toma, Ingrid; Prins, Theo W.; Raamsdonk, Van Leo W.D.

    2017-01-01

    After the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) crisis emerged in 1985/1986, all processed animal proteins (PAPs) were finally banned for use in animal feed in the European Union. To partially lift this feed ban, paths for re-introduction of PAPs from species other than ruminants e.g. pig and

  11. Posterior encephalopathy with vasospasm: MRI and angiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weidauer, S.; Gaa, J.; Lanfermann, H.; Zanella, F.E.; Sitzer, M.; Hefner, R.

    2003-01-01

    Posterior encephalopathy is characterised by headache, impairment of consciousness, seizures and progressive visual loss. MRI shows bilateral, predominantly posterior, cortical and subcortical lesions with a distribution. Our aim was to analyse the MRI lesion pattern and angiographic findings because the pathophysiology of posterior encephalopathy is incompletely understood. We report three patients with clinical and imaging findings consistent with posterior encephalopathy who underwent serial MRI including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and construction of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and four-vessel digital subtraction angiography (DSA). DWI revealed symmetrical subcortical and cortical parieto-occipital high signal. High and also low ADCs indicated probable vasogenic and cytotoxic oedema. On follow-up there was focal cortical laminar necrosis, while the white-matter lesions resolved almost completely, except in the arterial border zones. DSA revealed diffuse arterial narrowing, slightly more marked in the posterior circulation. These findings suggest that posterior encephalopathy may in some cases be due to diffuse, severe vasospasm affecting especially in the parieto-occipital grey matter, with its higher vulnerability to ischemia. Cerebral vasospasm due to digitoxin intoxication, resulting in posterior encephalopathy, has not yet been described previously. (orig.)

  12. Portal hemodynamics in chronic portal-systemic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takashi, Motohide; Igarashi, Masahiko; Hino, Shinichi; Takayasu, Kenichi; Goto, Nobuaki; Musha, Hirotaka; Ohnishi, Kunihiko; Okuda, Kunio

    1985-01-01

    A portal hemodynamic study was made in 7 consecutive patients with chronic portal-systemic encephalopathy by percutaneous transhepatic catheterization of the portal vein and injecting contrast medium into the superior mesenteric vein or by superior mesenteric arterial portography in comparison with patients without encephalopathy studied by percutaneous catheterization of these veins. It is suggested that chronic portal-systemic encephalopathy is a result of a large collateral route shunting a large proportion of the superior mesenteric venous blood into systemic circulation, and that development of such collaterals precludes formation of large esophageal varices. (Auth.)

  13. No oxygen delivery limitation in hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gjedde, Albert; Keiding, Susanne; Vilstrup, Hendrik

    2010-01-01

    to choose between cause and effect in three groups of volunteers, including healthy control subjects (HC), patients with cirrhosis of the liver without hepatic encephalopathy (CL), and patients with cirrhosis with acute hepatic encephalopathy. Compared to HC subjects, blood flow and energy metabolism had......Hepatic encephalopathy is a condition of reduced brain functioning in which both blood flow and brain energy metabolism declined. It is not known whether blood flow or metabolism is the primary limiting factor of brain function in this condition. We used calculations of mitochondrial oxygen tension...

  14. Chronic wasting disease management in ranched elk using rectal biopsy testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haley, Nicholas J; Henderson, Davin M; Wycoff, Sarah; Tennant, Joanne; Hoover, Edward A; Love, Dan; Kline, Ed; Lehmkuhl, Aaron; Thomsen, Bruce

    2018-03-04

    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.

  15. Membrane toxicity of abnormal prion protein in adrenal chromaffin cells of scrapie infected sheep.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gillian McGovern

    Full Text Available Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs or prion diseases are associated with accumulations of disease specific PrP (PrP(d in the central nervous system (CNS and often the lymphoreticular system (LRS. Accumulations have additionally been recorded in other tissues including the peripheral nervous system and adrenal gland. Here we investigate the effect of sheep scrapie on the morphology and the accumulation of PrP(d in the adrenal medulla of scrapie affected sheep using light and electron microscopy. Using immunogold electron microscopy, non-fibrillar forms of PrP(d were shown to accumulate mainly in association with chromaffin cells, occasional nerve endings and macrophages. PrP(d accumulation was associated with distinctive membrane changes of chromaffin cells including increased electron density, abnormal linearity and invaginations. Internalisation of PrP(d from the chromaffin cell plasma membrane occurred in association with granule recycling following hormone exocytosis. PrP(d accumulation and internalisation from membranes is similarly associated with perturbations of membrane structure and trafficking in CNS neurons and tingible body macrophages of the LRS. These data suggest that a major toxic effect of PrP(d is at the level of plasma membranes. However, the precise nature of PrP(d-membrane toxicity is tissue and cell specific suggesting that the normal protein may act as a multi-functional scaffolding molecule. We further suggest that the co-localisation of PrP(d with exocytic granules of the hormone trafficking system may provide an additional source of infectivity in blood.

  16. Degradation of the disease-associated prion protein by a serine protease from lichens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, C.J.; Bennett, J.P.; Biro, S.M.; Duque-Velasquez, J.C.; Rodriguez, C.M.; Bessen, R.A.; Rocke, T.E.; Bartz, Jason C.

    2011-01-01

    The disease-associated prion protein (PrP(TSE)), the probable etiological agent of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), is resistant to degradation and can persist in the environment. Lichens, mutualistic symbioses containing fungi, algae, bacteria and occasionally cyanobacteria, are ubiquitous in the environment and have evolved unique biological activities allowing their survival in challenging ecological niches. We investigated PrP(TSE) inactivation by lichens and found acetone extracts of three lichen species (Parmelia sulcata, Cladonia rangiferina and Lobaria pulmonaria) have the ability to degrade prion protein (PrP) from TSE-infected hamsters, mice and deer. Immunoblots measuring PrP levels and protein misfolding cyclic amplification indicated at least two logs of reductions in PrP(TSE). Degradative activity was not found in closely related lichen species or in algae or a cyanobacterium that inhabit lichens. Degradation was blocked by Pefabloc SC, a serine protease inhibitor, but not inhibitors of other proteases or enzymes. Additionally, we found that PrP levels in PrP(TSE)-enriched preps or infected brain homogenates are also reduced following exposure to freshly-collected P. sulcata or an aqueous extract of the lichen. Our findings indicate that these lichen extracts efficiently degrade PrP(TSE) and suggest that some lichens could have potential to inactivate TSE infectivity on the landscape or be a source for agents to degrade prions. Further work to clone and characterize the protease, assess its effect on TSE infectivity and determine which organism or organisms present in lichens produce or influence the protease activity is warranted.

  17. Diffusion MR findings in cyclosporin-A induced encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aydin, Kubilay; Minareci, Ozenc; Donmez, Fuldem; Tuzun, Umit; Atamer, Tanju

    2004-01-01

    Cyclosporin encephalopathy is a well-known entity, which is clinically characterized by altered mental status, vision problems, focal neurological deficits and seizures. The exact pathophysiology of the cyclosporin encephalopathy has not yet been defined. We report the diffusion-weighted MR imaging and proton MR spectroscopy findings in a case of cyclosporin encephalopathy. The white-matter lesions with reversible restricted diffusion supported the hypothesis of reversible vasospasm induced by the cyclosporin. (orig.)

  18. Reversible cortical blindness in a case of hepatic encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amlan Kanti Biswas

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Hepatic encephalopathy is a frequent and often fatal manifestation of chronic liver disease. The pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy is believed to be multifactorial including impaired blood-brain barrier function, imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in cortex, accumulation of various toxic and false neurotransmitters, and lack of nutrients like oxygen and glucose. Signs and symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy varies and commonly ranges from personality changes, disturbed consciousness, sleep pattern alternation, intellectual deterioration, speech disturbances, asterixis to frank coma and even death. Reversible or transient cortical blindness is rare manifestation of hepatic encephalopathy. It may even precede the phase of altered consciousness in such patients. Very few similar cases have been reported worldwide. Hence, we would like to report a case of transient cortical blindness in a patient of hepatic encephalopathy.

  19. Prion protein and scrapie susceptibility

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smits, M.A.; Bossers, A.; Schreuder, B.E.C.

    1997-01-01

    This article presents briefly current views on the role of prion protein (PrP) in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies or prion diseases and the effect of PrP polymoryhisms on the susceptibility to these diseases, with special emphasis on sheep scrapie. The PrP genotype of sheep apears to be a

  20. Differential effects of divalent cations on elk prion protein fibril formation and stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misfolding of the normally folded prion protein of mammals (PrPC) into infectious fibrils causes a variety of different diseases, from scrapie in sheep to bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle to chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk. The misfolded form of PrPC, termed PrPSc, or in this...

  1. The BSE Risk of Processing Meat and Bone Meal in Nonruminant Feed: A Quantitative Assessment for the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vos, de C.J.; Heres, L.

    2009-01-01

    The total ban on use of meat and bone meal (MBM) in livestock feed has been very successful in reducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) spread, but also implies a waste of high-quality proteins resulting in economic and ecological loss. Now that the BSE epidemic is fading out, a partial

  2. Birth defects in children with newborn encephalopathy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Felix, JF; Badawi, N; Kurinczuk, JJ; Bower, C; Keogh, JM; Pemberton, PJ

    2000-01-01

    This study was designed to investigate birth defects found in association with newborn encephalopathy. All possible birth defects were ascertained in a population-based study of 276 term infants with moderate or severe encephalopathy and 564 unmatched term control infants. A strong association

  3. Frequency of helicobacter pylori antibodies in porto-systemic encephalopathy,

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sethar, G.H.; Ahmed, R.; Afsar, S.; Zuberi, B.F.

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To study the frequency of Helicobacter pylori antibodies in patients presenting with porto-systemic encephalopathy due to liver disease. Patients and Methods: During the study period, seventy-six patients of porto-systemic encephalopathy due to liver diseases was selected. These subjects were evaluated for hepatic encephalopathy grade, modified Child-Pugh classification and were managed according to the standard practices. These patients were evaluated for Helicobacter (H. pylori) antibody status by ELlSA (Abbott Laboratories) method. Results: Out of 76 patients studied and tested for H. pylori antibodies, 48(63.2%) were males and 28(36.8%) were females with age ranging between 17 and 85 years. Out of 76 patients who presented with porto-systemic encephalopathy, 59(77.6%) had a positive H. pylori antibody test. Thirty-five of these were males and 24 were females. A significant number of patients who presented with higher grade of encephalopathy were H. pylori antibody positive (p<0.001). Conclusion: In this study, frequency of H. pylori antibodies was significantly high in patients of porto-systematic encephalopathy. (author)

  4. Acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy with features on diffusion-weighted images: Report of two cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Ja Young; Yu, In Kyu

    2015-01-01

    Acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy is a rare toxic encephalopathy caused by accumulated plasma ammonia. A few literatures are reported about MRI findings of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy. It is different from the well-known chronic hepatic encephalopathy. The clinical symptom and MRI findings of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy can be reversible with proper treatment. Acute hepatic encephalopathy involves the cingulate cortex, diffuse cerebral cortices, insula, bilateral thalami on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery. Acute hepatic encephalopathy might mimic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy because of their similar predominant involving sites. We experienced 2 cases of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy consecutively. They showed restricted diffusion at the cingulate cortex, cerebral cortices, insula, and bilateral dorsomedial thalami on DWI. One patient underwent acute fulminant hepatitis A, the other patient with underlying chronic liver disease had acute liver failure due to hepatotoxicity of tuberculosis medication. In this report, we presented the characteristic features of DWI in acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy. In addition, we reviewed articles on MRI findings of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy.

  5. Acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy with features on diffusion-weighted images: Report of two cases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Ja Young; Yu, In Kyu [Dept. of Radiology, Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-02-15

    Acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy is a rare toxic encephalopathy caused by accumulated plasma ammonia. A few literatures are reported about MRI findings of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy. It is different from the well-known chronic hepatic encephalopathy. The clinical symptom and MRI findings of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy can be reversible with proper treatment. Acute hepatic encephalopathy involves the cingulate cortex, diffuse cerebral cortices, insula, bilateral thalami on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery. Acute hepatic encephalopathy might mimic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy because of their similar predominant involving sites. We experienced 2 cases of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy consecutively. They showed restricted diffusion at the cingulate cortex, cerebral cortices, insula, and bilateral dorsomedial thalami on DWI. One patient underwent acute fulminant hepatitis A, the other patient with underlying chronic liver disease had acute liver failure due to hepatotoxicity of tuberculosis medication. In this report, we presented the characteristic features of DWI in acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy. In addition, we reviewed articles on MRI findings of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy.

  6. Electroencephalography and Brain MRI Patterns in Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wabulya, Angela; Lesser, Ronald P; Llinas, Rafael; Kaplan, Peter W

    2016-04-01

    Using electroencephalography (EEG) and histology in patients with diffuse encephalopathy, Gloor et al reported that paroxysmal synchronous discharges (PSDs) on EEG required combined cortical gray (CG) and "subcortical" gray (SCG) matter pathology, while polymorphic delta activity (PDA) occurred in patients with white matter pathology. In patients with encephalopathy, we compared EEG findings and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine if MRI reflected similar pathological EEG correlations. Retrospective case control study of 52 cases with EEG evidence of encephalopathy and 50 controls without evidence of encephalopathy. Review of clinical, EEG and MRI data acquired within 4 days of each other. The most common EEG finding in encephalopathy was background slowing, in 96.1%. We found PSDs in 0% of cases with the combination of CG and SCG abnormalities. Although 13.5% (n=7) had PSDs on EEG; 3 of these had CG and 4 had SCG abnormalities. A total of 73.1% (38/52) had white matter abnormalities-of these 28.9% (11/38) had PDA. PSDs were found with either CG or "SCG" MRI abnormalities and did not require a combination of the two. In agreement with Gloor et al, PDA occurred with white matter MRI abnormalities in the absence of gray matter abnormalities. © EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS) 2015.

  7. STXBP1 encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stamberger, Hannah; Nikanorova, Marina; Willemsen, Marjolein H

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To give a comprehensive overview of the phenotypic and genetic spectrum of STXBP1 encephalopathy (STXBP1-E) by systematically reviewing newly diagnosed and previously reported patients. METHODS: We recruited newly diagnosed patients with STXBP1 mutations through an international networ......, and the degree of ID. Accordingly, we hypothesize that seizure severity and ID present 2 independent dimensions of the STXBP1-E phenotype. STXBP1-E may be conceptualized as a complex neurodevelopmental disorder rather than a primary epileptic encephalopathy....

  8. Malnutrition-induced Wernicke's encephalopathy following a water-only fasting diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutcheon, Deborah A

    2015-02-01

    Wernicke's encephalopathy is a critical condition of neurological dysfunction resulting from a deficiency in thiamine. Chronic alcoholism is recognized as the most common cause of Wernicke's encephalopathy, but other causes, including fasting/starvation and malnutrition, have been documented within the scientific literature. These causes may not be readily recognized by healthcare professionals and may lead to Wernicke's encephalopathy being overlooked as a diagnosis when a nonalcoholic patient presents with classic signs and symptoms of the disorder. A narrative review of thiamine and its relationship to the development, diagnosis, and treatment of Wernicke's encephalopathy is presented based on a review of evidence-based guidelines and published research. To heighten awareness of the development of Wernicke's encephalopathy in fasted/starved and malnourished patients and to contribute to the scientific body of knowledge for the identification and management of Wernicke's encephalopathy in these patients, the clinical course and treatment of an adult woman who developed Wernicke's encephalopathy following a 40-day water-only fasting diet is outlined. Clinical suspicion was required to identify the patient's condition and initiate immediate intervention through parenteral thiamine administration. Oral thiamine supplementation of 100 to 800 mg per day for 6 months was required to aid recovery. The patient's clinical course and response to treatment illustrate the necessity for clinical awareness and suspicion of Wernicke's encephalopathy among healthcare professionals, timely and adequate parenteral thiamine administration, and oral thiamine supplementation at therapeutic doses to correct the nutrient deficiency, halt the progression of Wernicke's encephalopathy, and promote recovery. © 2014 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

  9. Radiographical findings in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elwir, Saleh; Hal, Hassan; Veith, Joshua; Schreibman, Ian; Kadry, Zakiyah; Riley, Thomas

    2016-08-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy is a common complication encountered in patients with liver cirrhosis. Hepatic encephalopathy is not reflected in the current liver transplant allocation system. Correlation was sought between hepatic encephalopathy with findings detected on radiographic imaging studies and the patient's clinical profile. A retrospective analysis was conducted of patients with cirrhosis, who presented for liver transplant evaluation in 2009 and 2010. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, ejection fraction less than 60% and who had a TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting) procedure or who did not complete the evaluation were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed and variables found to be significant on univariate analysis (P encephalopathy group (n = 58) and a control group (n = 59). Univariate analysis found that a smaller portal vein diameter, smaller liver antero-posterior diameter, liver nodularity and use of diuretics or centrally acting medications showed significant correlation with hepatic encephalopathy. This association was confirmed for smaller portal vein, use of diuretics and centrally acting medications in the multivariate analysis. A decrease in portal vein diameter was associated with increased risk of encephalopathy. Identifying patients with smaller portal vein diameter may warrant screening for encephalopathy by more advanced psychometric testing, and more aggressive control of constipation and other factors that may precipitate encephalopathy. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press and the Digestive Science Publishing Co. Limited.

  10. Instability of familial spongiform encephalopathy-related prion mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Yasuko; Hiraoka, Wakako; Shimoyama, Yuhei; Horiuchi, Motohiro; Kuwabara, Mikinori; Inanami, Osamu

    2008-01-01

    We examined the influence of D177N (D178N in humans) mutation on the conformational stability of the S2 region of moPrP C with varying pHs by using the SDSL-ESR technique. The ESR spectrum of D177N at pH 7.5 was narrower than that of Y161R1, referred to as WT * . The ESR spectrum of D177N did not change when pH in the solution decreased to pH 4.0. Our results suggested that the disappearance of a salt bridge (D177-R163) induced the increase in the instability of S2 region. Moreover, the line shape of the ESR spectrum obtained from H176S neighboring the salt bridge linked to the S2 region was similar to D177N. These results indicate that the protonation of H176 is strongly associated with the stability of S2 region. These findings are important for understanding the mechanism by which the disruption of the salt bridge in the S2 region forms the pathogenic PrP Sc structure in hereditary prion disease

  11. 9 CFR 94.20 - Gelatin derived from horses or swine, or from ruminants that have not been in any region where...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Gelatin derived from horses or swine... § 94.20 Gelatin derived from horses or swine, or from ruminants that have not been in any region where bovine spongiform encephalopathy exists. Gelatin derived from horses or swine, or from ruminants that...

  12. Detection of infectivity in blood of persons with variant and sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douet, Jean Yves; Zafar, Saima; Perret-Liaudet, Armand; Lacroux, Caroline; Lugan, Séverine; Aron, Naima; Cassard, Herve; Ponto, Claudia; Corbière, Fabien; Torres, Juan Maria; Zerr, Inga; Andreoletti, Olivier

    2014-01-01

    We report the presence of infectivity in erythrocytes, leukocytes, and plasma of 1 person with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and in the plasma of 2 in 4 persons whose tests were positive for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The measured infectivity levels were comparable to those reported in various animals with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

  13. Cerebral CT appearances of toxic encephalopathy of tetramine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Wenlong; Wu Aiqin; Xu Chongyong; Ying Binyu; Hong Ruizhen

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the cerebral CT appearances of toxic encephalopathy of tetramine and improve the recognition on this disease. Methods: Four cases of toxic encephalopathy of tetramine were collected and their cerebral CT appearances were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Cerebral CT appearances in acute phase (within 8 days): (1) cerebral edema in different degree. CT abnormalities consisted of cortical hypodensities and complete loss of gray-white matter differentiation. The CT value were in 11-13 HU, and to be watery density in serious case, (2) subarachnoid hemorrhage. It demonstrated the signs of poisoning hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in chronic phase. Conclusion: The cerebral CT appearances of toxic encephalopathy of tetramine had some character in acute phase and it can predict the serious degree of intoxication, but there was no characteristic findings in chronic phase

  14. Hypertensive encephalopathy in a patient with neonatal thyrotoxicosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pijnenburg, MWH; Zweens, MJ; Bink, MTE; Odink, RJ

    1999-01-01

    Neonatal hyperthyroidism may give rise to serious cardiovascular complications. A girl with severe thyrotoxicosis in whom hypertensive encephalopathy developed is described. Conclusion Neonatal thyrotoxicosis can give rise to hypertension and may lead to hypertensive encephalopathy.

  15. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... of brain function in people with advanced liver disease. When your liver is damaged it can no longer remove toxic substances from your blood. These toxins build up and can travel through your body until they reach your brain, causing mental and physical symptoms of HE. Hepatic Encephalopathy often ...

  16. Molecular & Genetic Investigation of Tau in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0399 TITLE: Molecular & Genetic Investigation of Tau in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: John F...Include area code) October 2015 Annual Report 30 Sep 2014 - 29 Sep 2015 Molecular & Genetic Investigation of Tau in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy John... encephalopathy (CTE), but the underlying molecular changes remain unclear. Here, biochemical and genetic studies that deepen our understanding of the

  17. Evaluation and Management of Hepatic Encephalopathy: Current Status and Future Directions

    OpenAIRE

    Suraweera, Duminda; Sundaram, Vinay; Saab, Sammy

    2016-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy is a spectrum of neurocognitive manifestations often seen in patients with liver injury or rarely in patients with portosystemic shunting without liver injury. It can be divided into minimal (covert) hepatic encephalopathy and overt hepatic encephalopathy, depending on the severity. Patients with hepatic encephalopathy have compromised clinical outcomes, decreased quality of life, and increased healthcare utilization, often resulting in a heavy financial and personal bu...

  18. Wernicke's encephalopathy as a complication of gastroparesis after ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Wernicke's encephalopathy is a common complication of malnutrition, alcohol abuse and gastric outlet obstruction. We describe a patient who developed Wernicke's encephalopathy secondary to gastroparesis, with no significant evidence of malnutrition, alcohol abuse, or gastric outlet obstruction.

  19. Genetics Home Reference: STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Resources (8 links) Boston Children's Hospital: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder in Children Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: ... stxbp1 encephalopathy with epilepsy Merck Manual Consumer Version: Seizure Disorders Orphanet: Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy Patient Support and ...

  20. Reversible dementia with psychosis: Hashimoto's encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mocellin, Ramon; Lubman, Dan I; Lloyd, John; Tomlinson, E Bruce; Velakoulis, Dennis

    2006-12-01

    A case of presumed Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is presented. The presentation included memory loss, delusions, functional decline and culminated in a generalized seizure. Anti-thyroid antibodies were detected and symptoms resolved with prednisolone. Patients with HE may present with prominent neuropsychiatric symptoms, attract psychiatric diagnoses and present to psychiatric services. Primarily a diagnosis of exclusion, HE should be considered in cases of encephalopathy in which standard investigations are negative.

  1. Post-partum posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome

    OpenAIRE

    B. V. Triveni; Salman Mohammed Sheikh; Deepak Shedde

    2014-01-01

    Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) is a clinicopathological syndrome associated with various clinical conditions presenting with headache, encephalopathy, seizure and cortical visual disturbances. Radiological findings in PRES are thought to be due to vasogenic edema predominantly in posterior cerebral hemispheres and are reversible with appropriate management. We present a case of post partum PRES,A 29 year old primigravida of 33 weeks 3 days period of gestation who prese...

  2. [Follow-up of newborns with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Biarge, M; Blanco, D; García-Alix, A; Salas, S

    2014-07-01

    Hypothermia treatment for newborn infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy reduces the number of neonates who die or have permanent neurological deficits. Although this therapy is now standard of care, neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy still has a significant impact on the child's neurodevelopment and quality of life. Infants with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy should be enrolled in multidisciplinary follow-up programs in order to detect impairments, to initiate early intervention, and to provide counselling and support for families. This article describes the main neurodevelopmental outcomes after term neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. We offer recommendations for follow-up based on the infant's clinical condition and other prognostic indicators, mainly neonatal neuroimaging. Other aspects, such as palliative care and medico-legal issues, are also briefly discussed. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  3. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in Australia, update to December 2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klug, Genevieve M; Boyd, Alison; Sarros, Shannon; Stehmann, Christiane; Simpson, Marion; McLean, Catriona A; Masters, Collin L; Collins, Stephen J

    2014-12-31

    Nation-wide surveillance of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, is performed by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, based at the University of Melbourne. Surveillance has been undertaken since 1993. Over this dynamic period in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy research and understanding, the unit has evolved and adapted to changes in surveillance practices and requirements, the emergence of new disease subtypes, improvements in diagnostic capabilities and the overall heightened awareness and understanding of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in the health care setting. In 2013, routine surveillance continued and this brief report provides an update of the surveillance data collected by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry prospectively from 1993 to December 2013, and retrospectively to 1970. The report highlights the recent multi-national collaborative study published that has verified the correlation between surveillance intensity and reported disease incidence. This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the whole or part of this work in unaltered form for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use the reproduction for any commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 or allowed by this copyright notice, all other rights are reserved and you are not allowed to reproduce the whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise) without first being given the specific written permission from the Commonwealth to do so. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to the Online, Services and External Relations Branch, Department of

  4. Wernicke’s encephalopathy following hyperemesis gravidarum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leila Pourali

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: ″Wernicke’s Korsakoff″ syndrome is the most important complication of severe thiamine deficiency. The term refers to two different syndromes, each representing a different stage of the disease. Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE is an acute syndrome requiring emergent treatment to prevent death and neurologic morbidity. Korsakoff syndrome (KS refers to a chronic neurologic condition that usually occurs as a consequence of WE. It is a rare complication of hyperemesis gravidarum that confusion, ocular signs, and gait ataxia are the most prevalent symptoms, respectively. Typical brain lesions of wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE are observed at autopsy in 0.4 to 2.8 percent of the general population in the western world and the majority of affected patients are alcoholic. The prevalence of wernicke’s encephalopathy lesions seen on autopsy was 12.5% of alcohol abusers in one report. Among those who with alcohol-related death, it has been reported to be even higher, 29 to 59%. The aim of this study was to report a case of wernicke’s encephalopathy following hyperemesis gravidarum. Case Presentation: A 28-year-old-pregnant woman in 19th weeks of gestation referred to the hospital with hyperemesis, gait ataxia, and dysarthria before that she had hyperemesis gravidarum with weight loss and unresponsive to outpatient and inpatient medical therapy. MRI showed hyperdense lesion around thalamus which was characteristic of wernicke’s encephalopathy. Rapid improvement in patient’s condition occurred after high dose thiamine infusion. Conclusion: In hyperemesis gravidarum, presence of either symptoms of ocular or mental disorder or ataxia must be considered to rule out and appropriate treatment of Wernicke’s syndrome which can cause maternal and fetal death.

  5. The Frequency and Severity of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Abnormalities in Infants with Mild Neonatal Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Brian H; Neil, Jeffrey; Morey, JoAnn; Yang, Edward; Silvera, Michelle V; Inder, Terrie E; Ortinau, Cynthia

    2017-08-01

    To assess and contrast the incidence and severity of abnormalities on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between infants with mild, moderate, and severe neonatal encephalopathy who received therapeutic hypothermia. This retrospective cohort studied infants with mild, moderate, and severe neonatal encephalopathy who received therapeutic hypothermia at a single tertiary neonatal intensive care unit between 2013 and 2015. Two neuroradiologists masked to the clinical condition evaluated brain MRIs for cerebral injury after therapeutic hypothermia using the Barkovich classification system. Additional abnormalities not included in this classification system were also noted. The rate, pattern, and severity of abnormalities/injury were compared across the grades of neonatal encephalopathy. Eighty-nine infants received therapeutic hypothermia and met study criteria, 48 with mild neonatal encephalopathy, 35 with moderate neonatal encephalopathy, and 6 with severe neonatal encephalopathy. Forty-eight infants (54%) had an abnormality on MRI. There was no difference in the rate of overall MRI abnormalities by grade of neonatal encephalopathy (mild neonatal encephalopathy 54%, moderate neonatal encephalopathy 54%, and severe neonatal encephalopathy 50%; P= .89). Basal ganglia/thalamic injury was more common in those with severe neonatal encephalopathy (mild neonatal encephalopathy 4%, moderate neonatal encephalopathy 9%, severe neonatal encephalopathy 34%; P = .03). In contrast, watershed injury did not differ between neonatal encephalopathy grades (mild neonatal encephalopathy 36%, moderate neonatal encephalopathy 32%, severe neonatal encephalopathy 50%; P = .3). Mild neonatal encephalopathy is commonly associated with MRI abnormalities after therapeutic hypothermia. The grade of neonatal encephalopathy during the first hours of life may not discriminate adequately between infants with and without cerebral injury noted on MRI after therapeutic hypothermia

  6. Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome-associated Encephalopathy Successfully Treated with Corticosteroids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosaka, Takashi; Nakamagoe, Kiyotaka; Tamaoka, Akira

    2017-11-01

    The encephalopathy that occurs in association with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is caused by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (E. coli), has a high mortality rate and patients sometimes present sequelae. We herein describe the case of a 20-year-old woman who developed encephalopathy during the convalescent stage of HUS caused by E.coli O26. Hyperintense lesions were detected in the pons, basal ganglia, and cortex on diffusion-weighted brain MRI. From the onset of HUS encephalopathy, we treated the patient with methylprednisolone (mPSL) pulse therapy alone. Her condition improved, and she did not present sequelae. Our study shows that corticosteroids appear to be effective for the treatment of some patients with HUS encephalopathy.

  7. CT diagnosis of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Xiang; Ma Jiwei; Wu Lide

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To explore CT characteristics of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), and to improve the accuracy of CT diagnosis. Methods: 50 cases of neonatal asphyxia in perinatal period diagnosed as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy by CT was analyzed. Results: The main manifestation of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is cerebral edema and intracranial hemorrhage. Focal or diffuse hypo-dense lesion and hyper-dense area in various location and morphology were seen on CT images. (1) Localized diffuse hypo-dense area in 1 or 2 cerebral lobe were found in 17 cases, and the lesions were localized in frontal lobe (n=6), in frontotemporal lobe (n=5), and in temporo-occipital lobe (n=6). (2) Hypo-density region involving more than three cerebral lobes were found in 18 cases, and abnormalities were found in frontotemporal and parietal lobe (n=8), accompanying with subarachnoid hemorrhage (n=2); in frontal, temporal and occipital lobe (n=6), in which cerebral hemorrhage was complicated (n=1); and in other cerebral lobe (n=4). (3) Diffuse low-density region in all cerebral lobe were found in 15 cases, in which subarachnoid hemorrhage was complicated in 4 cases, and ventricular hemorrhage was found in 2 case. Conclusion: CT imaging plays an important role in diagnosis of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and has shown its clinical value

  8. Evaluation and Management of Hepatic Encephalopathy: Current Status and Future Directions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suraweera, Duminda; Sundaram, Vinay; Saab, Sammy

    2016-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy is a spectrum of neurocognitive manifestations often seen in patients with liver injury or rarely in patients with portosystemic shunting without liver injury. It can be divided into minimal (covert) hepatic encephalopathy and overt hepatic encephalopathy, depending on the severity. Patients with hepatic encephalopathy have compromised clinical outcomes, decreased quality of life, and increased healthcare utilization, often resulting in a heavy financial and personal burden on caregivers. The diagnosis remains largely clinical, with the exclusion of possible other causes for the altered mental status. Current treatment strategies include nonabsorbable disaccharides and antibiotics. This review will focus on the diagnosis, management and clinical impact of hepatic encephalopathy. PMID:27377741

  9. NF EN ISO 11137-1, July 2006. Sterilization of health care products - Irradiation - Part 1: Requirements for development, validation and routine control of a sterilization process for medical devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    This part of the ISO 11137 standard specifies requirements for the development, validation and routine control of a radiation sterilization process for medical devices. Although the scope of this part of the ISO 11137 standard is limited to medical devices, it specifies requirements and provides guidance that may be applicable to other products and equipment. This part of the international standard covers radiation processes employing irradiators using the radionuclide 60 Co or 137 Cs, a beam from an electron generator or a beam from an X-ray generator. This part of the international standard does not: - specify requirements for development, validation and routine control of a process for inactivating the causative agents of spongiform encephalopathies such as scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; - detail specified requirements for designating a medical device as sterile; - specify a quality management system for the control of all stages of production of medical devices; - specify requirements for occupational safety associated with the design and operation of irradiation facilities; - specify requirements for the sterilization of used or reprocessed devices

  10. NF EN ISO 11137-1, July 2006. Sterilization of health care products - Irradiation - Part 1: Requirements for development, validation and routine control of a sterilization process for medical devices; NF EN ISO 11137-1, Juillet 2006. Sterilisation des produits de sante - Irradiation - Partie 1: exigences relatives a la mise au point, a la validation et au controle de routine d'un procede de sterilisation pour les dispositifs medicaux

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2006-07-01

    This part of the ISO 11137 standard specifies requirements for the development, validation and routine control of a radiation sterilization process for medical devices. Although the scope of this part of the ISO 11137 standard is limited to medical devices, it specifies requirements and provides guidance that may be applicable to other products and equipment. This part of the international standard covers radiation processes employing irradiators using the radionuclide {sup 60}Co or {sup 137}Cs, a beam from an electron generator or a beam from an X-ray generator. This part of the international standard does not: - specify requirements for development, validation and routine control of a process for inactivating the causative agents of spongiform encephalopathies such as scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; - detail specified requirements for designating a medical device as sterile; - specify a quality management system for the control of all stages of production of medical devices; - specify requirements for occupational safety associated with the design and operation of irradiation facilities; - specify requirements for the sterilization of used or reprocessed devices.

  11. Rare and unusual ... or are they? Less commonly diagnosed encephalopathies associated with systemic disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weathers, Allison L; Lewis, Steven L

    2009-04-01

    Encephalopathy due to hepatic or renal failure, electrolyte disturbances, or the administration of benzodiazepines and narcotics is commonly encountered, well reviewed in the literature, and, therefore, not usually missed. This article focuses on encephalopathies that were previously well described but may be overlooked by modern clinicians, as well as those that are still taught in the classroom but seldom thought of in practice. Due to the presumed relative rarity of these cases and emphasis on the well-memorized "classic" clinical presentations, these often treatable, and perhaps not so rare, encephalopathies due to systemic medical illness may go undiagnosed and untreated. Pancreatic encephalopathy, Wernicke's encephalopathy, and pellagra encephalopathy are reviewed in detail; cefepime and ifosfamide encephalopathies are discussed as examples of specific medication-induced encephalopathies. Septic encephalopathy, central pontine myelinolysis, and fat embolism syndrome are briefly reviewed. The encephalopathies reviewed have the potential for devastating neurological consequences if recognition and, therefore, treatment are delayed. Clinical improvement for many of these syndromes depends on prompt intervention. This article highlights some representative examples of less-commonly diagnosed metabolic and toxic encephalopathies.

  12. Research progress of BOLD-fMRI in minimal hepatic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Zhiming; Zhao Jiannong

    2013-01-01

    The minimal hepatic encephalopathy is the early stage of hepatic encephalopathy. It has few apparent clinical symptoms and specific manifestations, and is difficult to diagnose. In the recent years, BOLD-fMRI has been used to study hepatic encephalopathy gradually. Through detection of the brain neuron activities in different states, it can not only locate the abnormal activity of brain functional areas, but also can find the changes of brain functional connectivity. BOLD- fMRI combining with other MR technologies can explore the pathology and pathogenesis of minimal hepatic encephalopathy from micro to macro and from structure to function. (authors)

  13. Potentially modifiable factors contributing to sepsis-associated encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonneville, Romain; de Montmollin, Etienne; Poujade, Julien; Garrouste-Orgeas, Maïté; Souweine, Bertrand; Darmon, Michael; Mariotte, Eric; Argaud, Laurent; Barbier, François; Goldgran-Toledano, Dany; Marcotte, Guillaume; Dumenil, Anne-Sylvie; Jamali, Samir; Lacave, Guillaume; Ruckly, Stéphane; Mourvillier, Bruno; Timsit, Jean-François

    2017-08-01

    Identifying modifiable factors for sepsis-associated encephalopathy may help improve patient care and outcomes. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a prospective multicenter database. Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) was defined by a score on the Glasgow coma scale (GCS) sepsis at ICU admission, of whom 1341 (53%) had sepsis-associated encephalopathy. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, site of infection, and type of admission, the following factors remained independently associated with sepsis-associated encephalopathy: acute renal failure [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-1.67], hypoglycemia 10 mmol/l (aOR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.09-1.72), hypercapnia >45 mmHg (aOR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.53-2.38), hypernatremia >145 mmol/l (aOR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.48-3.57), and S. aureus (aOR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.05-2.25). Sepsis-associated encephalopathy was associated with higher mortality, higher use of ICU resources, and longer hospital stay. After adjusting for age, comorbidities, year of admission, and non-neurological SOFA score, even mild alteration of mental status (i.e., a score on the GCS of 13-14) remained independently associated with mortality (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.38, 95% CI 1.09-1.76). Acute renal failure and common metabolic disturbances represent potentially modifiable factors contributing to sepsis-associated encephalopathy. However, a true causal relationship has yet to be demonstrated. Our study confirms the prognostic significance of mild alteration of mental status in patients with sepsis.

  14. Dengue viral infections as a cause of encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malavige G

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics and poor prognostic factors associated with high mortality in dengue encephalopathy. Fifteen patients with confirmed dengue infections, who developed encephalopathy, were recruited from two tertiary care hospitals in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Among the factors that contributed to encephalopathy were: Acute liver failure (73%, electrolyte imbalances (80% and shock (40%. Five (33.3% patients developed seizures. Disseminated intravascular coagulation was seen in five (33.3%. Secondary bacterial infections were observed in 8 (53.3% of our patients. The overall mortality rate was 47%.

  15. [A case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob in the Mexican north-east and review of current concepts on prion disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calderón-Garcidueñas, A L; Sagastegui-Rodríguez, J A; Canales-Ibarra, C; Farías-García, R

    2001-01-01

    The case reported here is that of a 50-year-old man from Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, who during the previous 15 months developed a demential syndrome and myoclonia. The brain biopsy led to establish a diagnosis of spongiform encephalopathy. The EEG showed periodic sharp wave complexes over the right hemisphere. A review on about prion diseases is included.

  16. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy characterized by parallel use of the continuous reaction time and portosystemic encephalopathy tests

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauridsen, M M; Schaffalitzky de Muckadell, O B; Vilstrup, H

    2015-01-01

    Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a frequent complication to liver cirrhosis that causes poor quality of life, a great burden to caregivers, and can be treated. For diagnosis and grading the international guidelines recommend the use of psychometric tests of different modalities (computer...... based vs. paper and pencil). To compare results of the Continuous Reaction time (CRT) and the Portosystemic Encephalopathy (PSE) tests in a large unselected cohort of cirrhosis patients without clinically detectable brain impairment and to clinically characterize the patients according to their test...

  17. Normalization of the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aim: To construct normal values for the tests of the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and evaluate the prevalence of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among Turkish patients with liver cirrhosis. Materials and Methods: One hundred and eighty-five healthy subjects and sixty patients with liver ...

  18. Topiramate increases the risk of valproic acid-induced encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noh, Young; Kim, Dong Wook; Chu, Kon; Lee, Soon-Tae; Jung, Keun-Hwa; Moon, Hye-Jin; Lee, Sang Kun

    2013-01-01

    Metabolic encephalopathy is a rare but serious complication of valproic acid (VPA) therapy that usually presents with impaired consciousness or increased seizure frequency. Although it has been suggested that topiramate (TPM) increases the risk of VPA-induced encephalopathy, the additional risk in patients receiving TPM therapy has not been evaluated. We reviewed all adult patients who took VPA between January 2005 and February 2009 at the Seoul National University Hospital and identified patients with VPA-induced encephalopathy based on clinical and electroencephalography (EEG) data. Information on sex, age, serum ammonia level, serum VPA level, liver function test, and EEG was collected from patient registry and medical data. We enrolled 8,372 patients who received VPA therapy and 1,236 patients who received VPA/TPM combination therapy. We identified 11 patients with VPA-induced encephalopathy (0.13%), 7 of whom received a combination therapy of VPA and TPM. The odds ratio of VPA-induced encephalopathy with TPM over that without TPM was 10.16. There were no significant differences in sex distribution, number of antiepileptic agents, ammonia level, VPA serum level, underlying diseases, dosage of VPA, duration of VPA treatment, treatment of encephalopathy, and outcomes between the two groups. Our study showed that the prevalence of VPA-induced encephalopathy is approximately 0.1% among patients treated with VPA and that the risk of this condition, although still low, can increase by approximately 10 times in the presence of TPM therapy. Based on these results, we suggest that TPM should be carefully used in patients receiving VPA treatment. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 International League Against Epilepsy.

  19. Hepatic encephalopathy in acute-on-chronic liver failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Guan-Huei

    2015-10-01

    The presence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) within 4 weeks is part of the criteria for defining acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). The pathophysiology of HE is complex, and hyperammonemia and cerebral hemodynamic dysfunction appear to be central in the pathogenesis of encephalopathy. Recent data also suggest that inflammatory mediators may have a significant role in modulating the cerebral effect of ammonia. Multiple prospective and retrospective studies have shown that hepatic encephalopathy in ACLF patients is associated with higher mortality, especially in those with grade III-IV encephalopathy, similar to that of acute liver failure (ALF). Although significant cerebral edema detected by CT in ACLF patients appeared to be less common, specialized MRI imaging was able to detect cerebral edema even in low grade HE. Ammonia-focused therapy constitutes the basis of current therapy, as in the treatment of ALF. Emerging treatment strategies focusing on modulating the gut-liver-circulation-brain axis are discussed.

  20. Clinical manifestations and treatment response of steroid in pediatric Hashimoto encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Hee Joon; Lee, Jeehun; Seo, Dae Won; Lee, Munhyang

    2014-07-01

    Hashimoto encephalopathy is a steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with elevated titers of antithyroid antibodies. Clinical symptoms are characterized by behavioral and cognitive changes, speech disturbance, seizures, myoclonus, psychosis, hallucination, involuntary movements, cerebellar signs, and coma. The standard treatment is the use of corticosteroids along with the treatment of any concurrent dysthyroidism. Other options are immunoglobulins and plasmapheresis. We described symptoms and outcomes on 3 teenage girls with Hashimoto encephalopathy. Presenting symptoms were seizure or altered mental status. One patient took levothyroxine due to hypothyroidism before presentation of Hashimoto encephalopathy. After confirmation of elevated antithyroid antibodies, all patients were treated with steroids. One patient needed plasmapheresis because of the lack of response to steroids and immunoglobulins. Hashimoto encephalopathy should be considered in any patient presenting with acute or subacute unexplained encephalopathy and seizures. Even though the use of steroids is the first line of treatment, plasmapheresis can rescue steroid-resistant patients. © The Author(s) 2013.

  1. Wernicke encephalopathy in children and adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lallas, Matt; Desai, Jay

    2014-11-01

    Wernicke encephalopathy is caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. It is generally considered to be a disease of adult alcoholics. However, it is known to occur in the pediatric population and in non-alcoholic conditions. We searched PubMed with the key words Wernicke, thiamine, pediatric, children and adolescents and selected publications that were deemed appropriate. The global prevalence rates of hunger, poverty and resultant nutrient deprivation have decreased in the 21st century. However, several scenarios which may predispose to Wernicke encephalopathy may be increasingly prevalent in children and adolescents such as malignancies, intensive care unit stays and surgical procedures for the treatment of obesity. Other predisposing conditions include magnesium deficiency and defects in the SLC19A3 gene causing thiamine transporter-2 deficiency. The classic triad consists of encephalopathy, oculomotor dysfunction and gait ataxia but is not seen in a majority of patients. Treatment should be instituted immediately when the diagnosis is suspected clinically without waiting for laboratory confirmation. Common magnetic resonance findings include symmetric T2 hyperintensities in dorsal medial thalamus, mammillary bodies, periaqueductal gray matter, and tectal plate. Wernicke encephalopathy is a medical emergency. Delay in its recognition and treatment may lead to significant morbidity, irreversible neurological damage or even death. This article aims to raise the awareness of this condition among pediatricians.

  2. Genetics Home Reference: familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Home Health Conditions FENIB Familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies Printable PDF Open All Close All Enable ... expand/collapse boxes. Description Familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies ( FENIB ) is a disorder that causes progressive ...

  3. MRI and CT appearances in metabolic encephalopathies due to systemic diseases in adults

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bathla, G.; Hegde, A.N.

    2013-01-01

    The term encephalopathy refers to a clinical scenario of diffuse brain dysfunction, commonly due to a systemic, metabolic, or toxic derangement. Often the clinical evaluation is unsatisfactory in this scenario and imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis, assessment of treatment response, and prognostication of the disorder. Hence, it is important for radiologists to be familiar with the imaging features of some relatively frequently acquired metabolic encephalopathies encountered in the hospital setting. This study reviews the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of a number of metabolic encephalopathies that occur as part of systemic diseases in adults. The following conditions are covered in this review: hypoglycaemic encephalopathy, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, non-ketotic hyperglycaemia, hepatic encephalopathy, uraemic encephalopathy, hyperammonaemic encephalopathy, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. MRI is the imaging method of choice in evaluating these conditions. Due to their high metabolic activity, bilateral basal ganglia changes are evident in the majority of cases. Concurrent imaging abnormalities in other parts of the central nervous system often provide useful diagnostic information about the likely underlying cause of the encephalopathy. Besides this, abnormal signal intensity and diffusion restriction patterns on MRI and MR spectroscopy features may provide important clues as to the diagnosis and guide further management. Frequently, the diagnosis is not straightforward and typical imaging features require correlation with clinical and laboratory data for accurate assessment

  4. The Spectrum of Disease in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKee, Ann C.; Stein, Thor D.; Nowinski, Christopher J.; Stern, Robert A.; Daneshvar, Daniel H.; Alvarez, Victor E.; Lee, Hyo-Soon; Hall, Garth; Wojtowicz, Sydney M.; Baugh, Christine M.; Riley, David O.; Kubilus, Caroline A.; Cormier, Kerry A.; Jacobs, Matthew A.; Martin, Brett R.; Abraham, Carmela R.; Ikezu, Tsuneya; Reichard, Robert Ross; Wolozin, Benjamin L.; Budson, Andrew E.; Goldstein, Lee E.; Kowall, Neil W.; Cantu, Robert C.

    2013-01-01

    Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive tauopathy that occurs as a consequence of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury. We analysed post-mortem brains obtained from a cohort of 85 subjects with histories of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury and found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in 68 subjects: all males, ranging…

  5. Recent advances in hepatic encephalopathy [version 1; referees: 4 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victoria Liere

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Hepatic encephalopathy describes the array of neurological alterations that occur during acute liver failure or chronic liver injury. While key players in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy, such as increases in brain ammonia, alterations in neurosteroid levels, and neuroinflammation, have been identified, there is still a paucity in our knowledge of the precise pathogenic mechanism. This review gives a brief overview of our understanding of the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy and then summarizes the significant recent advances made in clinical and basic research contributing to our understanding, diagnosis, and possible treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. A literature search using the PubMed database was conducted in May 2017 using “hepatic encephalopathy” as a keyword, and selected manuscripts were limited to those research articles published since May 2014. While the authors acknowledge that many significant advances have been made in the understanding of hepatic encephalopathy prior to May 2014, we have limited the scope of this review to the previous three years only.

  6. Safety, efficacy, and patient acceptability of rifaximin for hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kimer, Nina; Krag, Aleksander; Gluud, Lise L

    2014-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy is a complex disease entity ranging from mild cognitive dysfunction to deep coma. Traditionally, treatment has focused on a reduction of ammonia through a reduced production, absorption, or clearance. Rifaximin is a nonabsorbable antibiotic, which reduces the production of ...... and safety of long-term treatment with rifaximin and evaluate effects of combination therapy with lactulose and branched-chain amino acids for patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy.......Hepatic encephalopathy is a complex disease entity ranging from mild cognitive dysfunction to deep coma. Traditionally, treatment has focused on a reduction of ammonia through a reduced production, absorption, or clearance. Rifaximin is a nonabsorbable antibiotic, which reduces the production...... of ammonia by gut bacteria and, to some extent, other toxic derivatives from the gut. Clinical trials show that these effects improve episodes of hepatic encephalopathy. A large randomized trial found that rifaximin prevents recurrent episodes of hepatic encephalopathy. Most patients were treated...

  7. Wernicke encephalopathy in a patient with liver failure: Clinical case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Pan; Zhao, Yanling; Wei, Zhenman; Chen, Jing; Yan, Lilong

    2016-07-01

    Early recognition and diagnosis of Wernicke encephalopathy is pivotal for the prognosis of this medical emergency, especially in patients with liver failure which predisposes individuals to develop hepatic encephalopathy. For these patients, distinguishing between hepatic encephalopathy and Wernicke encephalopathy is a challenge in real-world clinical practice.A male patient with 21-year medical history of liver cirrhosis presented diarrhea and ascites. One month before this visit, he was noted to have poor appetite and progressive fatigue. After admission, although several major symptoms, including diarrhea, ascites, hyponatremia, and hypoproteinemia, were greatly improved through appropriate treatments, his laboratory indicators were not changed much. His appetite was not reversed at discharge. On the 5th day after discharge, the patient suddenly became reluctant to speak and did not remember the recent happenings. Simultaneously, unsteady gait and strabismus occurred. On the basis of clinical manifestations and brain magnetic resonance imaging scan results, the patient was diagnosed as Wernicke encephalopathy and these relative symptoms were resolved after intravenous vitamin B1.To our knowledge, this is the second case report of Wernicke encephalopathy developing in a critically ill cirrhotic patient without hepatocellular carcinoma or operative intervention. Wernicke encephalopathy may be underdiagnosed in these patients and this case raises physicians' awareness of its possible onset.

  8. Need for early diagnosis of mental and mobility changes in Wernicke encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wijnia, Jan W; Oudman, Erik; Bresser, Esmay L; Gerridzen, Ineke J; van de Wiel, Albert; Beuman, Carla; Mulder, Cornelis L

    2014-12-01

    Korsakoff syndrome is a chronic form of amnesia resulting from thiamine deficiency. The syndrome can develop from unrecognized or undertreated Wernicke encephalopathy. The intra-individual course of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome has not been studied extensively, nor has the temporal progression of gait disturbances and other symptoms of Wernicke encephalopathy. Here we present the detailed history of a patient whose acute symptoms of Wernicke encephalopathy were far from stable. We follow his mobility changes and the shifts in his mental status from global confusion and impaired consciousness to more selective cognitive deficits. His Wernicke encephalopathy was missed and left untreated, being labeled as "probable" Korsakoff syndrome. Patients with a history of self-neglect and alcohol abuse, at risk of or suffering with Wernicke encephalopathy, should receive immediate and adequate vitamin replacement. Self-neglecting alcoholics who are bedridden may have severe illness and probably active Wernicke encephalopathy. In these patients, mobility changes, delirium, or impaired consciousness can be an expression of Wernicke encephalopathy, and should be treated to prevent further damage from the neurologic complications of thiamine deficiency.

  9. MRI findings in acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy resulting from decompensated chronic liver disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sureka, Jyoti; Jakkani, Ravi Kanth; Panwar, Sanuj

    2012-06-01

    Hyperammonemic encephalopathy is a type of metabolic encephalopathy with diversified etiology. Hyperammonemia is the end result of several metabolic disorders such as congenital deficiencies of urea cycle enzymes, hepatic encephalopathy, Reye's syndrome and other toxic encephalopathies. Non-specific clinical presentation poses a great challenge in early diagnosis of this entity. Irrespective of the underlying etiology, hyperammonemia causes a distinctive pattern of brain parenchymal injury. The cingulate gyrus and insular cortex are more vulnerable to this type of toxic insult. Characteristic magnetic resonance imaging findings in combination with laboratory parameters can help to differentiate this entity from other metabolic encephalopathy and thus aiding in early diagnosis and treatment.

  10. The role of genetics in chronic wasting disease of North American cervids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Stacie J.; Samuel, Michael D.; O'Rourke, Katherine; Johnson, Chad J.

    2012-01-01

    Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a major concern for the management of North American cervid populations. This fatal prion disease has led to declines in populations which have high CWD prevalence and areas with both high and low infection rates have experienced economic losses in wildlife recreation and fears of potential spill-over into livestock or humans. Research from human and veterinary medicine has established that the prion protein gene (Prnp) encodes the protein responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Polymorphisms in the Prnp gene can lead to different prion forms that moderate individual susceptibility to and progression of TSE infection. Prnp genes have been sequenced in a number of cervid species including those currently infected by CWD (elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, moose) and those for which susceptibility is not yet determined (caribou, fallow deer, sika deer). Over thousands of sequences examined, the Prnp gene is remarkably conserved within the family Cervidae; only 16 amino acid polymorphisms have been reported within the 256 amino acid open reading frame in the third exon of the Prnp gene. Some of these polymorphisms have been associated with lower rates of CWD infection and slower progression of clinical CWD. Here we review the body of research on Prnp genetics of North American cervids. Specifically, we focus on known polymorphisms in the Prnp gene, observed genotypic differences in CWD infection rates and clinical progression, mechanisms for genetic TSE resistance related to both the cervid host and the prion agent and potential for natural selection for CWD-resistance. We also identify gaps in our knowledge that require future research.

  11. Differentially expressed genes in iron-induced prion protein conversion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Minsun; Kim, Eun-hee; Choi, Bo-Ran; Woo, Hee-Jong

    2016-01-01

    The conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrP C ) to the protease-resistant isoform is the key event in chronic neurodegenerative diseases, including transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Increased iron in prion-related disease has been observed due to the prion protein-ferritin complex. Additionally, the accumulation and conversion of recombinant PrP (rPrP) is specifically derived from Fe(III) but not Fe(II). Fe(III)-mediated PK-resistant PrP (PrP res ) conversion occurs within a complex cellular environment rather than via direct contact between rPrP and Fe(III). In this study, differentially expressed genes correlated with prion degeneration by Fe(III) were identified using Affymetrix microarrays. Following Fe(III) treatment, 97 genes were differentially expressed, including 85 upregulated genes and 12 downregulated genes (≥1.5-fold change in expression). However, Fe(II) treatment produced moderate alterations in gene expression without inducing dramatic alterations in gene expression profiles. Moreover, functional grouping of identified genes indicated that the differentially regulated genes were highly associated with cell growth, cell maintenance, and intra- and extracellular transport. These findings showed that Fe(III) may influence the expression of genes involved in PrP folding by redox mechanisms. The identification of genes with altered expression patterns in neural cells may provide insights into PrP conversion mechanisms during the development and progression of prion-related diseases. - Highlights: • Differential genes correlated with prion degeneration by Fe(III) were identified. • Genes were identified in cell proliferation and intra- and extracellular transport. • In PrP degeneration, redox related genes were suggested. • Cbr2, Rsad2, Slc40a1, Amph and Mvd were expressed significantly.

  12. Genetic Resistance to Scrapie Infection in Experimentally Challenged Goats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacroux, Caroline; Perrin-Chauvineau, Cécile; Corbière, Fabien; Aron, Naima; Aguilar-Calvo, Patricia; Torres, Juan Maria; Costes, Pierrette; Brémaud, Isabelle; Lugan, Séverine; Schelcher, François; Barillet, Francis

    2014-01-01

    In goats, several field studies have identified coding mutations of the gene encoding the prion protein (I/M142, N/D146, S/D146, R/Q211, and Q/K222) that are associated with a lower risk of developing classical scrapie. However, the data related to the levels of resistance to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) of these different PRNP gene mutations are still considered insufficient for developing large-scale genetic selection against scrapie in this species. In this study, we inoculated wild-type (WT) PRNP (I142R154R211Q222) goats and homozygous and/or heterozygous I/M142, R/H154, R/Q211, and Q/K222 goats with a goat natural scrapie isolate by either the oral or the intracerebral (i.c.) route. Our results indicate that the I/M142 PRNP polymorphism does not provide substantial resistance to scrapie infection following intracerebral or oral inoculation. They also demonstrate that H154, Q211, and K222 PRNP allele carriers are all resistant to scrapie infection following oral exposure. However, in comparison to WT animals, the H154 and Q211 allele carriers displayed only moderate increases in the incubation period following i.c. challenge. After i.c. challenge, heterozygous K222 and a small proportion of homozygous K222 goats also developed the disease, but with incubation periods that were 4 to 5 times longer than those in WT animals. These results support the contention that the K222 goat prion protein variant provides a strong but not absolutely protective effect against classical scrapie. PMID:24284317

  13. Flumazenil versus placebo or no intervention for people with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goh, Ee Teng; Andersen, Mette L.; Morgan, Marsha Y.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Hepatic encephalopathy is a common complication of cirrhosis which results in poor brain functioning. The spectrum of changes associated with hepatic encephalopathy ranges from the clinically 'indiscernible' or minimal hepatic encephalopathy to the clinically 'obvious' or overt hepatic...... encephalopathy. Flumazenil is a synthetic benzodiazepine antagonist with high affinity for the central benzodiazepine recognition site. Flumazenil may benefit people with hepatic encephalopathy through an indirect negative allosteric modulatory effect on gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor function. The previous...... version of this review, which included 13 randomised clinical trials, found no effect of flumazenil on all-cause mortality, based on an analysis of 10 randomised clinical trials, but found a beneficial effect on hepatic encephalopathy, based on an analysis of eight randomised clinical trials. Objectives...

  14. Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gluud, Lise Lotte; Dam, Gitte; Les, Iñigo

    2015-01-01

    -chain amino acids (BCAA) versus control interventions has evaluated if BCAA may benefit people with hepatic encephalopathy. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of BCAA versus any control intervention for people with hepatic encephalopathy. SEARCH METHODS: We identified trials through...

  15. Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gluud, Lise Lotte; Dam, Gitte; Les, Iñigo

    2017-01-01

    -chain amino acids (BCAA) versus control interventions has evaluated if BCAA may benefit people with hepatic encephalopathy. Objectives: To evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of BCAA versus any control intervention for people with hepatic encephalopathy. Search methods: We identified trials through...

  16. Maternal or neonatal infection: association with neonatal encephalopathy outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenster, Meike; Bonifacio, Sonia L; Ruel, Theodore; Rogers, Elizabeth E; Tam, Emily W; Partridge, John Colin; Barkovich, Anthony James; Ferriero, Donna M; Glass, Hannah C

    2014-07-01

    Perinatal infection may potentiate brain injury among children born preterm. The objective of this study was to examine whether maternal and/or neonatal infection are associated with adverse outcomes among term neonates with encephalopathy. This study is a cohort study of 258 term newborns with encephalopathy whose clinical records were examined for signs of maternal infection (chorioamnionitis) and infant infection (sepsis). Multivariate regression was used to assess associations between infection, pattern, and severity of injury on neonatal magnetic resonance imaging, as well as neurodevelopment at 30 mo (neuromotor examination, or Bayley Scales of Infant Development, second edition mental development index encephalopathy, chorioamnionitis was associated with a lower risk of brain injury and adverse outcomes, whereas signs of neonatal sepsis carried an elevated risk. The etiology of encephalopathy and timing of infection and its associated inflammatory response may influence whether infection potentiates or mitigates injury in term newborns.

  17. Genetics Home Reference: glycine encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... seizures. As they get older, many develop intellectual disability, abnormal movements, and behavioral problems. Other atypical types of glycine encephalopathy appear later in childhood or adulthood ...

  18. Determination of lactic acid level in systemic liquids in children with progressive encephalopathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marszał, Elzbieta; Wojaczyńska-Stanek, Katarzyna; Pietruszewski, Jerzy; Emich-Widera, Ewa; Bielińska-Bujniewicz, Eugenia

    2002-03-01

    This article reports the results of research into the activities of lactic acid concentrations in the body fluids of children with progressive encephalopathies (PE) in comparison to patients with non-progressive encephalopathies (NPE) and those with non-progressive encephalopathies with concomitant epilepsy (NPEE). The study was designed to determine whether there is difference between the serum and CSF lactic acid concentrations in children with progressive encephalopathies (PE), static (non-progressive) encephalopathies (NPE) and non progressive encephalopathies with concomitant epilepsy (NPEE), and whether the clinical status correlates with the concentration of these biochemical markers in children with PE. The assessment involved 138 children of both sexes, whose age ranged between 8 months and 15 years, diagnosed and treated in the Neurology Department at the Pediatric Clinic of the Silesian Medical Academy in Katowice between 1995 and 1997. Lactate concentrations were determined in serum and cerebro-spinal fluid and analyzed statistically. The findings showed higher serum and CSF concentrations in children with PE than in patients who manifested non-progressive forms of encephalopathy. The degree of clinical symptom aggravation in PE children was likewise analyzed and compared to the values of lactate concentrations in body fluids; however, no correlation was found between these parameters. Children with progressive encephalopathies present higher lactate concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid than patients with static (non-progressive) encephalopathy.

  19. Neonatal encephalopathy and socioeconomic status: population-based case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blume, Heidi K; Loch, Christian M; Li, Christopher I

    2007-07-01

    To investigate the association between maternal socioeconomic status and the risk of encephalopathy in full-term newborns. Population-based case-control study. Washington State births from 1994 through 2002 recorded in the linked Washington State Birth Registry and Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System. Cases (n = 1060) were singleton full-term newborns with Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnoses of seizures, birth asphyxia, central nervous system dysfunction, or cerebral irritability. Control cases (n = 5330) were singleton full-term newborns selected from the same database. Main Exposures Socioeconomic status was defined by median income of the census tract of the mother's residence, number of years of maternal educational achievement, or maternal insurance status. Odds ratios estimating the risk of encephalopathy associated with disadvantaged socioeconomic status were calculated in 3 separate analyses using multivariate adjusted logistic regression. Newborns of mothers living in neighborhoods in which residents have a low median income were at increased risk of encephalopathy compared with newborns in neighborhoods in which residents have a median income more than 3 times the poverty level (adjusted odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.3). There was also a trend for increasing risk of encephalopathy associated with decreasing neighborhood income (PNewborns of mothers with less than 12 years of educational achievement had a higher risk of encephalopathy compared with newborns of mothers with more than 16 years of educational achievement (adjusted odds ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.3). Newborns of mothers receiving public insurance also had a higher risk of encephalopathy compared with newborns of mothers who have commercial insurance (adjusted odds ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-1.7). Disadvantaged socioeconomic status was independently

  20. Hepatic Encephalopathy: Early Diagnosis in Pediatric Patients With Cirrhosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    DARA, Naghi; SAYYARI, Ali-Akbar; IMANZADEH, Farid

    2014-01-01

    Objective As acute liver failure (ALF) and chronic liver disease (cirrhosis) continue to increase in prevalence, we will see more cases of hepatic encephalopathy. Primary care physician are often the first to suspect it, since they are familiar with the patient’s usual physical and mental status. This serious complication typically occurs in patients with severe comorbidities and needs multidisciplinary evaluation and care. Hepatic encephalopathy should be considered in any patient with acute liver failure and cirrhosis who presents with neuropsychiatric manifestations, decrease level of consciousness (coma), change of personality, intellectual and behavioral deterioration, speech and motor dysfunction. Every cirrhotic patient may be at risk; potential precipitating factors should be addressed in regular clinic visits. The encephalopathy of liver disease may be prominent, or can be present in subtle forms, such as decline of school performance, emotional outbursts, or depression. “Subtle form” of hepatic encephalopathy may not be obvious on clinical examination, but can be detected by neurophysiologic and neuropsychiatric testing. PMID:24665321

  1. Stimulus induced bursts in severe postanoxic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tjepkema-Cloostermans, Marleen C; Wijers, Elisabeth T; van Putten, Michel J A M

    2016-11-01

    To report on a distinct effect of auditory and sensory stimuli on the EEG in comatose patients with severe postanoxic encephalopathy. In two comatose patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with severe postanoxic encephalopathy and burst-suppression EEG, we studied the effect of external stimuli (sound and touch) on the occurrence of bursts. In patient A bursts could be induced by either auditory or sensory stimuli. In patient B bursts could only be induced by touching different facial regions (forehead, nose and chin). When stimuli were presented with relatively long intervals, bursts persistently followed the stimuli, while stimuli with short intervals (encephalopathy can be induced by external stimuli, resulting in stimulus-dependent burst-suppression. Stimulus induced bursts should not be interpreted as prognostic favourable EEG reactivity. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Metformin inhibits glutaminase activity and protects against hepatic encephalopathy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier Ampuero

    Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the influence of metformin use on liver dysfunction and hepatic encephalopathy in a retrospective cohort of diabetic cirrhotic patients. To analyze the impact of metformin on glutaminase activity and ammonia production in vitro. METHODS: Eighty-two cirrhotic patients with type 2 diabetes were included. Forty-one patients were classified as insulin sensitizers experienced (metformin and 41 as controls (cirrhotic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without metformin treatment. Baseline analysis included: insulin, glucose, glucagon, leptin, adiponectin, TNFr2, AST, ALT. HOMA-IR was calculated. Baseline HE risk was calculated according to minimal hepatic encephalopathy, oral glutamine challenge and mutations in glutaminase gene. We performed an experimental study in vitro including an enzymatic activity assay where glutaminase inhibition was measured according to different metformin concentrations. In Caco2 cells, glutaminase activity inhibition was evaluated by ammonia production at 24, 48 and 72 hours after metformina treatment. RESULTS: Hepatic encephalopathy was diagnosed during follow-up in 23.2% (19/82: 4.9% (2/41 in patients receiving metformin and 41.5% (17/41 in patients without metformin treatment (logRank 9.81; p=0.002. In multivariate analysis, metformin use [H.R.11.4 (95% CI: 1.2-108.8; p=0.034], age at diagnosis [H.R.1.12 (95% CI: 1.04-1.2; p=0.002], female sex [H.R.10.4 (95% CI: 1.5-71.6; p=0.017] and HE risk [H.R.21.3 (95% CI: 2.8-163.4; p=0.003] were found independently associated with hepatic encephalopathy. In the enzymatic assay, glutaminase activity inhibition reached 68% with metformin 100 mM. In Caco2 cells, metformin (20 mM decreased glutaminase activity up to 24% at 72 hours post-treatment (p<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Metformin was found independently related to overt hepatic encephalopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and high risk of hepatic encephalopathy. Metformin inhibits glutaminase

  3. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy: contributions from the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, David O; Robbins, Clifford A; Cantu, Robert C; Stern, Robert A

    2015-01-01

    Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with repetitive brain trauma (RBT). Initially described in boxers, CTE has now been found in other contact sport athletes with a history of RBT. In recent years, there has been tremendous media attention regarding CTE, primarily because of the deaths of high profile American football players who were found to have CTE upon neuropathological examination. However, the study of CTE remains in its infancy. This review focuses on research from the Centre for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) at Boston University. This study reviews the formation of the CSTE, major CSTE publications and current ongoing research projects at the CSTE. The neuropathology of CTE has been well-described. Current research focuses on: methods of diagnosing the disease during life (including the development of biomarkers), examination of CTE risk factors (including genetic susceptibility and head impact exposure variables); description of the clinical presentation of CTE; development of research diagnostic criteria for Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome; and assessment of mechanism and pathogenesis. Current research at the BU CSTE is aimed at increasing understanding of the long-term consequences of repetitive head impacts and attempting to begin to answer several of the unanswered questions regarding CTE.

  4. Genetics Home Reference: SCN8A-related epilepsy with encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Resources (6 links) Boston Children's Hospital: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder in Children Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: ... related epilepsy with encephalopathy Merck Manual Consumer Version: Seizure Disorders Orphanet: Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy Patient Support and ...

  5. Current concepts in the assessment and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Cash, W J

    2012-02-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is defined as a metabolically induced, potentially reversible, functional disturbance of the brain that may occur in acute or chronic liver disease. Standardized nomenclature has been proposed but a standardized approach to the treatment, particularly of persistent, episodic and recurrent encephalopathy associated with liver cirrhosis has not been proposed. This review focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of HE in patients with cirrhosis. The pathogenesis and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy in fulminant hepatic failure is quite different and is reviewed elsewhere.

  6. Brain hypothermia therapy for childhood acute encephalopathy based on clinical evidence

    OpenAIRE

    IMATAKA, GEORGE; ARISAKA, OSAMU

    2015-01-01

    Although previous studies have reported on the effectiveness of brain hypothermia therapy in childhood acute encephalopathy, additional studies in this field are necessary. In this review, we discussed brain hypothermia therapy methods for two clinical conditions for which sufficient evidences are currently available in the literature. The first condition is known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and occurs in newborns and the second condition is acute encephalopathy which occurs in adults ...

  7. Seeing more clearly through the fog of encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Peter W; Sutter, Raoul

    2013-10-01

    Patients with acute confusional states (often referred to as encephalopathy or delirium) pose diagnostic and management challenges for treating physicians. Encephalopathy is associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate, and the diagnosis rests on clinical grounds but may also be supported by the finding of electroencephalographic (EEG) evidence for diffuse cerebral dysfunction. The myriad cerebral transmitter and metabolic disruptions are generated by systemic organ system failures, principal among which are those of the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, and endocrine system, along with the effects of exogenous toxins and medications. In most cases, several of these organ failures together contribute to the confusional state, frequently in the context of a diffuse cerebral atrophy that affects the aging brain. This special issue of the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology is dedicated to exploring the electrophysiology of these conditions. It reviews the pathophysiology, psychiatric manifestations, clinical and imaging correlations of the many causes and types of encephalopathy. A literature review of the EEG abnormalities in the various types of encephalopathy provides an overview that ranges from paraneoplastic causes, through organ system failures, postcardiorespiratory arrest, to postoperative delirium. The issue is supplemented by tables of relevant clinical correlations, graphs, Venn diagrams, and the use of mathematical modeling used to explain how defects in the neuronal interplay might generate the EEG patterns seen in encephalopathy. We hope that this assembly will act as a springboard for further discussion and investigation into the EEG underpinnings, clinical correlations, diagnosis. and prognostication of these common and morbid disturbances of brain function.

  8. Acute hepatic encephalopathy with diffuse cortical lesions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arnold, S.M.; Spreer, J.; Schumacher, M. [Section of Neuroradiology, Univ. of Freiburg (Germany); Els, T. [Dept. of Neurology, University of Freiburg (Germany)

    2001-07-01

    Acute hepatic encephalopathy is a poorly defined syndrome of heterogeneous aetiology. We report a 49-year-old woman with alcoholic cirrhosis and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia who developed acute hepatic coma induced by severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Laboratory analysis revealed excessively elevated blood ammonia. MRI showed lesions compatible with chronic hepatic encephalopathy and widespread cortical signal change sparing the perirolandic and occipital cortex. The cortical lesions resembled those of hypoxic brain damage and were interpreted as acute toxic cortical laminar necrosis. (orig.)

  9. Acute hepatic encephalopathy with diffuse cortical lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnold, S.M.; Spreer, J.; Schumacher, M.; Els, T.

    2001-01-01

    Acute hepatic encephalopathy is a poorly defined syndrome of heterogeneous aetiology. We report a 49-year-old woman with alcoholic cirrhosis and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia who developed acute hepatic coma induced by severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Laboratory analysis revealed excessively elevated blood ammonia. MRI showed lesions compatible with chronic hepatic encephalopathy and widespread cortical signal change sparing the perirolandic and occipital cortex. The cortical lesions resembled those of hypoxic brain damage and were interpreted as acute toxic cortical laminar necrosis. (orig.)

  10. Performance of the hepatic encephalopathy scoring algorithm in a clinical trial of patients with cirrhosis and severe hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hassanein, T.; Blei, A.T.; Perry, W.

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The grading of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is based on a combination of indicators that reflect the state of consciousness, intellectual function, changes in behavior, and neuromuscular alterations seen in patients with liver failure. METHODS: We modified the traditional West Haven...... criteria (WHC) to provide an objective assessment of the cognitive parameters to complement the subjective clinical ratings for the performance of extracorporeal albumin dialysis (ECAD) using a molecular adsorption recirculating system in patients with cirrhosis and severe (grade III / IV) encephalopathy...

  11. Investigation of metabolic encephalopathy

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    cycle defects is the X-linked recessive disorder, ornithine ... life, or if the child is fed the compounds that they are unable .... as learning difficulties, drowsiness and avoidance of ... Table 2. Laboratory investigation of suspected metabolic encephalopathy. Laboratory .... Clinical approach to treatable inborn metabolic diseases:.

  12. GRIN2B encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Platzer, Konrad; Yuan, Hongjie; Schuetz, Hannah

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: We aimed for a comprehensive delineation of genetic, functional and phenotypic aspects of GRIN2B encephalopathy and explored potential prospects of personalised medicine. METHODS: Data of 48 individuals with de novo GRIN2B variants were collected from several diagnostic and research c...

  13. Benzodiazepine receptor antagonists for acute and chronic hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Als-Nielsen, B; Kjaergard, L L; Gluud, C

    2001-01-01

    The pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy is unknown. It has been suggested that liver failure leads to the accumulation of substances that bind to a receptor-complex in the brain resulting in neural inhibition which may progress to coma. Several trials have assessed benzodiazepine receptor...... antagonists for hepatic encephalopathy, but the results are conflicting....

  14. Newborns Referred for Therapeutic Hypothermia: Association between Initial Degree of Encephalopathy and Severity of Brain Injury (What About the Newborns with Mild Encephalopathy on Admission?).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagne-Loranger, Maude; Sheppard, Megan; Ali, Nabeel; Saint-Martin, Christine; Wintermark, Pia

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this article was to describe the severity of brain injury and/or mortality in a cohort of newborns referred for therapeutic hypothermia, in relation to the degree of encephalopathy on admission, and to especially look at the ones with initial mild encephalopathy. Term newborns with perinatal depression referred to our neonatal intensive care unit for possible hypothermia treatment from 2008 to 2012 were enrolled prospectively. The modified Sarnat score on admission was correlated with severity of brain injury on brain imaging and/or autopsy. A total of 215 newborns were referred for possible cooling. Sixty percent (128/215) were cooled. Most of the not-cooled newborns with an available brain magnetic resonance imaging (85% = 50/59) had an initial mild encephalopathy, and 40% (20/50) developed brain injury. Some cooled newborns had an initial mild encephalopathy (12% = 13/108); only 31% (4/13) developed brain injury. Our results demonstrated that several newborns with an initial mild encephalopathy developed subsequent brain injury, especially when they were not cooled. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  15. The ketogenic diet can be used successfully in combination with corticosteroids for epileptic encephalopathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ville, Dorothée; Chiron, Catherine; Laschet, Jacques; Dulac, Olivier

    2015-07-01

    Hormonal therapy or ketogenic diet often permits overcoming the challenging periods of many epileptic encephalopathies (West and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes and encephalopathy with continuous spike-waves in slow sleep), but relapse affects over 20% of patients. We report here a monocenter pilot series of 42 consecutive patients in whom we combined oral steroids with the ketogenic diet for corticosteroid-resistant or -dependent epileptic encephalopathy. We retrospectively evaluated the effect on seizure frequency, interictal spike activity, neuropsychological course, and steroid treatment course. Twenty-three patients had West syndrome (WS), 13 had encephalopathy with continuous spike-waves in slow sleep (CSWS), and six others had miscellaneous epileptic encephalopathies. All patients succeeded to reach 0.8 to 1.6g/l ketone bodies in the urine following the usual KD regimen. For at least 6 months, 14/42 responded to the addition of the ketogenic diet: 4/23 with WS, 8/13 with CSWS, and 2/6 with miscellaneous epileptic encephalopathies. The addition of the KD allowed withdrawing steroids in all responders. Among them, 10/15 had been patients with steroid-dependent epileptic encephalopathy and 4/27 patients with steroid-resistant epileptic encephalopathy. Therefore, the ketogenic diet can be used successfully in combination with corticosteroids for epileptic encephalopathies. Patients presenting with steroid-dependent CSWS seem to be the best candidates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Nationwide survey of rotavirus-associated encephalopathy and sudden unexpected death in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamura, Yoshiki; Ohashi, Masahiro; Ihira, Masaru; Hashimoto, Shuji; Taniguchi, Koki; Yoshikawa, Tetsushi

    2014-08-01

    Rotavirus can cause severe complications such as encephalopathy/encephalitis and sudden unexpected death. The incidence of rotavirus-associated encephalopathy/encephalitis or sudden unexpected death remains unknown. To clarify the clinical features of rotavirus-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy and sudden unexpected death, we conducted a nationwide survey in Japan. A two-part questionnaire was designed to determine the number of the cases and the clinical features of severe cases of rotavirus infection, including encephalitis/encephalopathy and sudden unexpected death, between 2009 and 2011. Of the 1365 questionnaires sent to hospitals, 963 (70.5%) were returned and eligible for analysis. We determined 58 cases of rotavirus-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy and 7 cases of sudden unexpected death. These patients were diagnosed with rotavirus infection by immunochromatography. Although 36/58 (62.1%) encephalitis/encephalopathy patients had no sequelae, 15/58 (25.9%) patients had neurological sequelae, and 7/58 (12.1%) patients had fatal outcomes. Pleocytosis was observed in 9/40 (22.5%) patients and cerebrospinal fluid protein levels were elevated in only 4/40 (10%) patients. Elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (>500 IU/L) or acidemia (pHdeath were 44.0 and 4.9 cases in Japan, respectively. Elevated LDH (>500 IU/L) or acidemia (pH<7.15) were related to a poor prognosis of the encephalitis/encephalopathy. Copyright © 2013 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome: a case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Sook Ja; Choi, Yun Sun; Shin, Chung Ho; Cho, Sung Bum; Cho, Jae Min; Kim, Hyun Sook; Han, Tae Il; Yoon, Yong Kyu

    2001-01-01

    Hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome (HSES) is a sudden-onset symptom complex that involves multisystem failure and includes encephalopathy, shock, coma, convulsions, prerenal azotemia, hepatic dysfunction, and bleeding coagulopathy and progressive thrombocytopenia in previously healthy infants and children. Its radiologic findings have rarely been reported, and it has not been described in Korea. We present a case of clinically diagnosed HSES, and include the CT and MRI findings

  18. Theoretical Modeling of Molecular Mechanisms, Time Scales and Strains in Prion Diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-01-01

    106 46 (Lou Gehrig’s (20% of cases) stress all ALS) disease)53 Type II diabetes54 IAPP ? High ( obesity 14 106 per year (U.S.) 40 trigger...and in enhancing conversion kinetics for inherited forms of the disease and explain resistance (for canines ) involving hypothesized coupling to...bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions in England through contaminated protein supplements, canines , cervids, and pigs appear to have escaped

  19. Singled out?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waller, Frank

    2004-03-01

    The increasing use of single use medical devices is being driven by a growing awareness of iatrogenic (from the Greek; caused by the doctor) and nosocomial infections. Public health perceptions relating to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, specifically variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B are high on the political agenda and a matter of concern to healthcare professionals.

  20. Risk factors and outcome of Shigella encephalopathy in Bangladeshi children.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farzana Afroze

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Although, Shigella encephalopathy, a serious extra-intestinal complication of shigellosis, significantly increases the risks of death, data are very limited on predicting factors particularly related to electrolyte profiles in children below five years of age with Shigella encephalopathy. Our objective was to determine the clinical as well as laboratory predicting factors and outcome of children with Shigella encephalopathy.In this unmatched case-control design, children aged 2-59 months having a positive stool culture for Shigella and who had their serum electrolytes been done from July 2012 to June 2015 were studied. Children with Shigella encephalopathy, defined as having abnormal mentation, constituted the cases, and those without encephalopathy constituted the controls. During the study period, we identified a total of 541 children less than five years of age, who had Shigella in their stool culture. Only 139 children fulfilled the study criteria and among them 69 were cases and 70 were controls. The cases more often had fatal outcome compared to the controls (7% vs. 0%, P = 0.02. In logistic regression analysis, the cases were independently associated with shorter duration (1.2 ± 0.4 days of diarrhea prior to admission, dehydrating diarrhea, sepsis and hyponatremia (p<0.05 for all. Among 139 Shigella isolates, S. flexneri (88/139, 63% and S. sonnei(34/139, 24% were the dominant species. S. dysenteriae was not isolated throughout the study period. S.sonnei was more frequently isolated from the cases (24/69, 35% than the controls (10/70, 14%, whereas the isolation of S. flexneri was comparable between the groups (40/69, 58% vs 48/70, 69%. A total of 94 (67.6% isolates were resistant to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, 84 (60.4% to ciprofloxacin, 66/138 (48% to ampicillin, 5 (3.5% to ceftriaxone, 17 (12.2% to mecillinum and 35 (25% to azithromycin.The case-fatality-rate was significantly higher among the children with Shigella encephalopathy

  1. Research progress of BOLD-functional MRI of hepatic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ni Ling; Zhang Longjiang; Lu Guangming

    2013-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), characterized by a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from behavior abnormality, conscious disorder and even coma, is a consequence of liver dysfunction in both acute and chronic hepatic diseases. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) refers to a subgroup of cirrhotic patients without clinical overt hepatic encephalopathy symptoms hut with abnormalities in neuro -cognitive functions. HE/MHE can have a far-reaching impact on quality of life and prognosis. The exact neuropathology mechanism was still unclear. Recently, functional MRI (fMRI) has been increasingly applied for investigating the neuro-pathophysiological mechanism of HE. This paper will review the fMRI research applied on uncovering the neuropathology mechanism of HE. (authors)

  2. Wernicke’s encephalopathy associated with liver abscess.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Rajesh; Garg, Vipul

    2017-07-31

    Wernicke's encephalopathy is a rare neurological disorder caused by thiamine deficiency, characterised by ocular motor dysfunction, ataxia and impairment in consciousness. It predominantly affects brain regions with a high metabolic rate such as mammillary bodies, medial thalamic nuclei, the tectal region and the cerebellum. Although chronic alcoholism is the most common cause of Wernicke's encephalopathy, various other conditions not related to alcohol consumption such as bariatric surgery, acute pancreatitis, hyperemesis gravidarum, prolonged fasting and gastrointestinal surgery have been implicated in its aetiology. We report the case of a patient who underwent surgery for liver abscess and subsequently developed Wernicke's encephalopathy; he showed a positive response to thiamine supplementation. This is the first report describing liver abscess as the cause of Wernicke's encephalopathy. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  3. Celiac crisis presenting with status epilepticus and encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hijaz, Nadia M; Bracken, Julia M; Chandratre, Sonal R

    2014-12-01

    Celiac crisis is a life-threatening presentation of celiac disease which is described in the context of classic gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms of diarrhea, leading to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Neurologic manifestations are atypical symptoms of celiac crisis. To the best of our knowledge, there is no published report on seizure or encephalopathy as the presenting manifestation of celiac crisis. We describe a 2-year-old boy presenting with acute status epilepticus and lethargy. Prior to presentation, he had mild abdominal distention and intermittent diarrhea. Laboratory analysis revealed hyponatremia, anemia, hypocalcemia, transaminitis, and hyperglycemia. Electroencephalography revealed severe diffuse encephalopathy, and complete infectious work-up was negative. Initial brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal; however, repeat imaging showed osmotic demyelination syndrome. Given the history of GI symptoms and hyperglycemia, celiac serology was obtained revealing elevated tissue transglutaminase, and a diagnosis was confirmed by Marsh 3c lesions in the duodenum. He significantly improved with steroid therapy in addition to adequate nutrition, fluids, and initiation of a gluten-free diet. We report herein on the first case of celiac crisis presenting with status epilepticus and encephalopathy in the absence of profound GI symptoms. Our case suggests that celiac crisis should be considered in the differential of seizures and encephalopathy in children.

  4. Clinical and radiological features of hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-qiu LI

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective To discuss the diagnosis and treatment of hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy. Methods  The clinical and imaging data of 3 cases of hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy were summarized and analyzed for the purpose of improving the acumen in diagnosis and treatment. Results All the 3 patients showed relatively mild clinical symptoms, and they were misdiagnosed in different degrees during the treatment, but their clinical symptoms were improved by rapid and effective antihypertensive therapy. Cerebral CT and MRI scans revealed extensive abnormal signals in brain stem, with or without supratentorial lesions and brain stem hemorrhage. The lesions as revealed by imaging were improved significantly after treatment. Conclusions Clinical-radiographic dissociation is the classic feature of hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy. The clinical symptoms and lesions as shown by imaging could be improved after active treatment. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2015.06.03

  5. Expression and role of neuroglobin in rats with sepsis-associated encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Li-Na; Ai, Yu-Hang; Gong, Hua; Guo, Qu-Lian; Huang, Li; Liu, Zhi-Yong; Yao, Bo

    2014-01-01

    To determine the role of neuroglobin in the pathology of sepsis-associated encephalopathy and ascertain if neuroglobin has any protective effects against sepsis-associated encephalopathy. Randomized laboratory animal study. Research university animal laboratory. Two hundred and forty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats received cecal puncture and ligation (or sham) surgery to induce sepsis, then broken up into groups based on whether or not the rat developed sepsis-associated encephalopathy as determined by electroencephalograph and evoked potential recordings. The rats were then left untreated to examine the effect of sepsis-associated encephalopathy on neuroglobin, treated with a neuroglobin antisense nucleotide to block gene expression, or given hemin, a neuroglobin inducer. Following sepsis induction, diagnosis, and treatment, the brains were analyzed for both gross and ultrastructural morphology. Also, neuronal neuroglobin immunoreactivity and apoptosis (via terminal uridine nucleotide end-labeling) were examined. Blood serum levels were then analyzed for neuroglobin, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde levels. We determined that sepsis-associated encephalopathy induces damage evident when examining both gross and ultrastructural morphology, as well as induces neuronal neuroglobin expression. Also, blockade of neuroglobin expression via antisense treatment will exacerbate these pathological effects, while increasing neuroglobin levels via hemin will ameliorate them. Blood analysis found that levels of superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde mirrored the level of pathology found in the brain, while plasma neuroglobin levels reflected the amount of neuronal neuroglobin immunoreactivity. We conclude that neuroglobin is involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis-associated encephalopathy and has neuroprotective effects. We also determined that hemin has protective effects against sepsis-associated encephalopathy as well, most probably due to its effect on

  6. Changes in Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Human Herpesvirus-6-Associated Acute Encephalopathy/Febrile Seizures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naoyuki Tanuma

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available To determine the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of acute encephalopathy associated with human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6 infection, we measured the levels of oxidative stress markers 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG and hexanoyl-lysine adduct (HEL, tau protein, and cytokines in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF obtained from patients with HHV-6-associated acute encephalopathy (HHV-6 encephalopathy (n=16 and complex febrile seizures associated with HHV-6 (HHV-6 complex FS (n=10. We also examined changes in CSF-8OHdG and CSF-HEL levels in patients with HHV-6 encephalopathy before and after treatment with edaravone, a free radical scavenger. CSF-8-OHdG levels in HHV-6 encephalopathy and HHV-6 complex FS were significantly higher than in control subjects. In contrast, CSF-HEL levels showed no significant difference between groups. The levels of total tau protein in HHV-6 encephalopathy were significantly higher than in control subjects. In six patients with HHV-6 infection (5 encephalopathy and 1 febrile seizure, the CSF-8-OHdG levels of five patients decreased after edaravone treatment. Our results suggest that oxidative DNA damage is involved in acute encephalopathy associated with HHV-6 infection.

  7. Bronchiolitis-associated encephalopathy in critically-ill infants: an underestimated complication?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antonucci, Roberto; Chiappe, Stefano; Porcella, Annalisa; Rosatelli, Daniela; Fanos, Vassilios

    2010-05-01

    To investigate the bronchiolitis-associated encephalopathy in critically ill infants. The records of infants with severe bronchiolitis admitted to our intensive care unit between 1991 and 2003 were reviewed. Subjects with underlying neurological disorders were excluded. Encephalopathy was defined as occurrence of seizures or at least two nonconvulsive neurologic manifestations. A semistructured telephone interview investigated long-term neurodevelopmental outcome. Twenty-one infants (11 newborns) were enrolled. All patients required oxygen supplementation and 14 required mechanical ventilation. Encephalopathy occurred in 10 infants, six of whom developed seizures. Encephalopathic infants frequently (six of nine) showed transient EEG abnormalities, and occasionally (one of nine) cranial ultrasound abnormalities. A positive respiratory syncytial virus test was found in five of nine encephalopathic infants. One encephalopathic patient died, while 20 infants clinically normalised before discharge and showed a good neurodevelopmental outcome. Acute encephalopathy was frequently observed in our patients with severe bronchiolitis. Long-term prognosis of encephalopathic infants was good.

  8. Diabetic encephalopathy: a cerebrovascular disorder?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Manschot, S.M.

    2006-01-01

    Animal study: The aim was to investigate the role of vascular disturbances in the development of experimental diabetic encephalopathy. We describe the effects of treatment with the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme(ACE)-inhibitor enalapril (treatment aimed at the

  9. SCN8A encephalopathy: Research progress and prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meisler, Miriam H; Helman, Guy; Hammer, Michael F; Fureman, Brandy E; Gaillard, William D; Goldin, Alan L; Hirose, Shinichi; Ishii, Atsushi; Kroner, Barbara L; Lossin, Christoph; Mefford, Heather C; Parent, Jack M; Patel, Manoj; Schreiber, John; Stewart, Randall; Whittemore, Vicky; Wilcox, Karen; Wagnon, Jacy L; Pearl, Phillip L; Vanderver, Adeline; Scheffer, Ingrid E

    2016-07-01

    On April 21, 2015, the first SCN8A Encephalopathy Research Group convened in Washington, DC, to assess current research into clinical and pathogenic features of the disorder and prepare an agenda for future research collaborations. The group comprised clinical and basic scientists and representatives of patient advocacy groups. SCN8A encephalopathy is a rare disorder caused by de novo missense mutations of the sodium channel gene SCN8A, which encodes the neuronal sodium channel Nav 1.6. Since the initial description in 2012, approximately 140 affected individuals have been reported in publications or by SCN8A family groups. As a result, an understanding of the severe impact of SCN8A mutations is beginning to emerge. Defining a genetic epilepsy syndrome goes beyond identification of molecular etiology. Topics discussed at this meeting included (1) comparison between mutations of SCN8A and the SCN1A mutations in Dravet syndrome, (2) biophysical properties of the Nav 1.6 channel, (3) electrophysiologic effects of patient mutations on channel properties, (4) cell and animal models of SCN8A encephalopathy, (5) drug screening strategies, (6) the phenotypic spectrum of SCN8A encephalopathy, and (7) efforts to develop a bioregistry. A panel discussion of gaps in bioregistry, biobanking, and clinical outcomes data was followed by a planning session for improved integration of clinical and basic science research. Although SCN8A encephalopathy was identified only recently, there has been rapid progress in functional analysis and phenotypic classification. The focus is now shifting from identification of the underlying molecular cause to the development of strategies for drug screening and prioritized patient care. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

  10. About pathognomonic images: an infrequent case of acute encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandro Grasso

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND The occurrence of acute encephalopathy is a dramatic clinical dilemma when usual diagnostic techniques (blood tests, cerebral CT and cerebrospinal fluid analysis show no abnormalities. CLINICAL CASE We describe a case of a 73 years old man admitted in our Internal Medicine Unit for acute diarrhoea with vomiting and fever who developed a prolonged gastrointestinal dysmotility syndrome with poor nutritional intake. Although a parenteral support was provided, he developed acute encephalopathy followed by hypotension and lactic acidosis without evidence of renal and hepatic disease or glycemic alterations. Likewise, no cerebral CT and cerebrospinal fluid alterations were found. Conversely, cerebral MRI showed marked and diffuse DP-2 and FLAIR hyperintensity of the mesencephalic tectal plate, of the periaqueductal area, and of the periventricular region of the third ventricle including the median thalamic area. These MRI descriptions were considered pathognomonic of Wernicke encephalopathy. Thus, the immediate use of ev thiamine was followed by a prompt and complete recovery of neurological, hemodinamic and metabolic conditions. CONCLUSIONS Non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy is a rare and dramatic clinical event with high mortality. In this context, brain MRI is the best diagnostic tool providing a typical picture.

  11. Advanced neuroimaging techniques for the term newborn with encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chau, Vann; Poskitt, Kenneth John; Miller, Steven Paul

    2009-03-01

    Neonatal encephalopathy is associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period and of long-term neurodevelopmental disability in survivors. Advanced magnetic resonance techniques now play a major role in the clinical care of newborns with encephalopathy and in research addressing this important condition. From conventional magnetic resonance imaging, typical patterns of injury have been defined in neonatal encephalopathy. When applied in contemporary cohorts of newborns with encephalopathy, the patterns of brain injury on magnetic resonance imaging distinguish risk factors, clinical presentation, and risk of abnormal outcome. Advanced magnetic resonance techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion-weighted imaging, and diffusion tensor imaging provide novel perspectives on neonatal brain metabolism, microstructure, and connectivity. With the application of these imaging tools, it is increasingly apparent that brain injury commonly occurs at or near the time of birth and evolves over the first weeks of life. These observations have complemented findings from trials of emerging strategies of brain protection, such as hypothermia. Application of these advanced magnetic resonance techniques may enable the earliest possible identification of newborns at risk of neurodevelopmental impairment, thereby ensuring appropriate follow-up with rehabilitation and psychoeducational resources.

  12. A Rare Case of Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome Accompanying Late Postpartum Eclampsia or Hypertensive Encephalopathy-A Clinical Dilemma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shakuntala PN

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES refers to a clinic-radiologic diagnosis. Clinically it is characterized by non specific symptoms such as headache, confusion, visual disturbances and seizures. The radiological findings in PRES are thought to be due to vasogenic oedema, predominantly in the posterior cerebral hemispheres, and are reversible with appropriate management. We report a case of reversible encephalopathy diagnosed by MRI scan occurring in atypical areas like the caudate and lentiform nuclei of the brain following an uneventful lower segment caesarean section in a normotensive patient, who was successfully treated with antihypertensives, anticonvulsants and supportive treatment. The differential diagnosis of convulsions in the post-partum period is discussed.

  13. Hypothermia therapy for newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silveira, Rita C; Procianoy, Renato S

    2015-01-01

    Therapeutic hypothermia reduces cerebral injury and improves the neurological outcome secondary to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in newborns. It has been indicated for asphyxiated full-term or near-term newborn infants with clinical signs of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). A search was performed for articles on therapeutic hypothermia in newborns with perinatal asphyxia in PubMed; the authors chose those considered most significant. There are two therapeutic hypothermia methods: selective head cooling and total body cooling. The target body temperature is 34.5 °C for selective head cooling and 33.5 °C for total body cooling. Temperatures lower than 32 °C are less neuroprotective, and temperatures below 30 °C are very dangerous, with severe complications. Therapeutic hypothermia must start within the first 6h after birth, as studies have shown that this represents the therapeutic window for the hypoxic-ischemic event. Therapy must be maintained for 72 h, with very strict control of the newborn's body temperature. It has been shown that therapeutic hypothermia is effective in reducing neurologic impairment, especially in full-term or near-term newborns with moderate hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Therapeutic hypothermia is a neuroprotective technique indicated for newborn infants with perinatal asphyxia and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  14. Uremic Encephalopathy with Atypical Magnetic Resonance Features on Diffusion-Weighted Images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Eu Gene; Jeon, Se Jeong; Choi, See Sung

    2012-01-01

    Uremic encephalopathy is a well-known disease with typical MR findings including bilateral vasogenic or cytotoxic edema at the cerebral cortex or basal ganglia. Involvement of the basal ganglia has been very rarely reported, typically occurring in uremic-diabetic patients. We recently treated a patient who had non-diabetic uremic encephalopathy with an atypical lesion distribution involving the supratentorial white matter, without cortical or basal ganglia involvement. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the second reported case of non-diabetic uremic encephalopathy with atypical MR findings.

  15. Uremic Encephalopathy with Atypical Magnetic Resonance Features on Diffusion-Weighted Images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Eu Gene; Jeon, Se Jeong; Choi, See Sung [Dept. of Radiology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-11-15

    Uremic encephalopathy is a well-known disease with typical MR findings including bilateral vasogenic or cytotoxic edema at the cerebral cortex or basal ganglia. Involvement of the basal ganglia has been very rarely reported, typically occurring in uremic-diabetic patients. We recently treated a patient who had non-diabetic uremic encephalopathy with an atypical lesion distribution involving the supratentorial white matter, without cortical or basal ganglia involvement. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the second reported case of non-diabetic uremic encephalopathy with atypical MR findings.

  16. EPILEPTIC ENCEPHALOPATHY WITH CONTINUOUS SPIKES-WAVES ACTIVITY DURING SLEEP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. D. Belousova

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The author represents the review and discussion of current scientific literature devoted to epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spikes-waves activity during sleep — the special form of partly reversible age-dependent epileptic encephalopathy, characterized by triad of symptoms: continuous prolonged epileptiform (spike-wave activity on EEG in sleep, epileptic seizures and cognitive disorders. The author describes the aspects of classification, pathogenesis and etiology, prevalence, clinical picture and diagnostics of this disorder, including the peculiar anomalies on EEG. The especial attention is given to approaches to the treatment of epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spikeswaves activity during sleep. Efficacy of valproates, corticosteroid hormones and antiepileptic drugs of other groups is considered. The author represents own experience of treatment this disorder with corticosteroids, scheme of therapy and assessment of efficacy.

  17. Trends in food safety standards and regulation implications for developing countries

    OpenAIRE

    Caswell, Julie A.

    2003-01-01

    "Food safety is affected by the decisions of producers, processors, distributors, food service operators, and consumers, as well as by government regulations. In developed countries, the demand for higher levels of food safety has led to the implementation of regulatory programs that address more types of safety-related attributes (such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), microbial pathogens, environmental contaminants, and animal drug and pesticide residues) and impose stricter standa...

  18. Prion diseases are efficiently transmitted by blood transfusion in sheep

    OpenAIRE

    Houston, F.; McCutcheon, S.; Goldmann, W.; Chong, A.; Foster, J.; Siso, S.; Gonzalez, L.; Jeffrey, M.; Hunter, N.

    2008-01-01

    The emergence of variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, following on from the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic, led to concerns about the potential risk of iatrogenic transmission of disease by blood transfusion and the introduction of costly control measures to protect blood supplies. We previously reported preliminary data demonstrating the transmission of BSE and natural scrapie by blood transfusion in sheep. The final results of this experiment, reported here, give unexpectedly ...

  19. ARIES: an expert system supporting legislative tasks. Identifying animal materials using the Linnaeus II software

    OpenAIRE

    van Raamsdonk, Leo W.D.

    2010-01-01

    Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, Mad cow disease) is generally considered to be caused by recycling animal by-products as ingredient in animal, especially ruminant, feed. Feed bans were enforced to minimize the risk on infections, and monitoring programs are effectuated for controlling the ban. The only official detection method is visual (microscopic) examination of the presence of primarily bone fragments, but muscle fibres, hairs, feather filaments, and fish bones a...

  20. Prion protein expression regulates embryonic stem cell pluripotency and differentiation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Miranda

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Cellular prion protein (PRNP is a glycoprotein involved in the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs. Although the physiological function of PRNP is largely unknown, its key role in prion infection has been extensively documented. This study examines the functionality of PRNP during the course of embryoid body (EB differentiation in mouse Prnp-null (KO and WT embryonic stem cell (ESC lines. The first feature observed was a new population of EBs that only appeared in the KO line after 5 days of differentiation. These EBs were characterized by their expression of several primordial germ cell (PGC markers until Day 13. In a comparative mRNA expression analysis of genes playing an important developmental role during ESC differentiation to EBs, Prnp was found to participate in the transcription of a key pluripotency marker such as Nanog. A clear switching off of this gene on Day 5 was observed in the KO line as opposed to the WT line, in which maximum Prnp and Nanog mRNA levels appeared at this time. Using a specific antibody against PRNP to block PRNP pathways, reduced Nanog expression was confirmed in the WT line. In addition, antibody-mediated inhibition of ITGB5 (integrin αvβ5 in the KO line rescued the low expression of Nanog on Day 5, suggesting the regulation of Nanog transcription by Prnp via this Itgb5. mRNA expression analysis of the PRNP-related proteins PRND (Doppel and SPRN (Shadoo, whose PRNP function is known to be redundant, revealed their incapacity to compensate for the absence of PRNP during early ESC differentiation. Our findings provide strong evidence for a relationship between Prnp and several key pluripotency genes and attribute Prnp a crucial role in regulating self-renewal/differentiation status of ESC, confirming the participation of PRNP during early embryogenesis.

  1. Experimental approaches to the interaction of the prion protein with nucleic acids and glycosaminoglycans: Modulators of the pathogenic conversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Jerson L; Vieira, Tuane C R G; Gomes, Mariana P B; Rangel, Luciana P; Scapin, Sandra M N; Cordeiro, Yraima

    2011-03-01

    The concept that transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are caused only by proteins has changed the traditional paradigm that disease transmission is due solely to an agent that carries genetic information. The central hypothesis for prion diseases proposes that the conversion of a cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into a misfolded, β-sheet-rich isoform (PrP(Sc)) accounts for the development of (TSE). There is substantial evidence that the infectious material consists chiefly of a protein, PrP(Sc), with no genomic coding material, unlike a virus particle, which has both. However, prions seem to have other partners that chaperone their activities in converting the PrP(C) into the disease-causing isoform. Nucleic acids (NAs) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are the most probable accomplices of prion conversion. Here, we review the recent experimental approaches that have been employed to characterize the interaction of prion proteins with nucleic acids and glycosaminoglycans. A PrP recognizes many nucleic acids and GAGs with high affinities, and this seems to be related to a pathophysiological role for this interaction. A PrP binds nucleic acids and GAGs with structural selectivity, and some PrP:NA complexes can become proteinase K-resistant, undergoing amyloid oligomerization and conversion to a β-sheet-rich structure. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that endogenous polyanions (such as NAs and GAGs) may accelerate the rate of prion disease progression by acting as scaffolds or lattices that mediate the interaction between PrP(C) and PrP(Sc) molecules. In addition to a still-possible hypothesis that nucleic acids and GAGs, especially those from the host, may modulate the conversion, the recent structural characterization of the complexes has raised the possibility of developing new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Scrapie-specific pathology of sheep lymphoid tissues.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gillian McGovern

    Full Text Available Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs or prion diseases often result in accumulation of disease-associated PrP (PrP(d in the lymphoreticular system (LRS, specifically in association with follicular dendritic cells (FDCs and tingible body macrophages (TBMs of secondary follicles. We studied the effects of sheep scrapie on lymphoid tissue in tonsils and lymph nodes by light and electron microscopy. FDCs of sheep were grouped according to morphology as immature, mature or regressing. Scrapie was associated with FDC dendrite hypertrophy and electron dense deposit or vesicles. PrP(d was located using immunogold labelling at the plasmalemma of FDC dendrites and, infrequently, mature B cells. Abnormal electron dense deposits surrounding FDC dendrites were identified as immunoglobulins suggesting that excess immune complexes are retained and are indicative of an FDC dysfunction. Within scrapie-affected lymph nodes, macrophages outside the follicle and a proportion of germinal centre TBMs accumulated PrP(d within endosomes and lysosomes. In addition, TBMs showed PrP(d in association with the cell membrane, non-coated pits and vesicles, and also with discrete, large and random endoplasmic reticulum networks, which co-localised with ubiquitin. These observations suggest that PrP(d is internalised via the caveolin-mediated pathway, and causes an abnormal disease-related alteration in endoplasmic reticulum structure. In contrast to current dogma, this study shows that sheep scrapie is associated with cytopathology of germinal centres, which we attribute to abnormal antigen complex trapping by FDCs and abnormal endocytic events in TBMs. The nature of the sub-cellular changes in FDCs and TBMs differs from those of scrapie infected neurones and glial cells suggesting that different PrP(d/cell membrane interactions occur in different cell types.

  3. Effect of antibiotics, prebiotics and probiotics in treatment for hepatic encephalopathy.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bongaerts, G.P.A.; Severijnen, R.S.V.M.; Timmerman, H.

    2005-01-01

    In order to reduce ammonia production by urease-positive bacteria Solga recently hypothesised (S.F. Solga, Probiotics can treat hepatic encephalopathy, Medical Hypotheses 2003; 61: 307-13), that probiotics are new therapeutics for hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and that they may replace antibiotics

  4. Prion diseases: immunotargets and therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burchell JT

    2016-06-01

    adaptive immune response. Although more research into mechanisms and safety is required, these immunotherapies offer novel therapeutic targets for prion diseases. Keywords: neurodegeneration, immunization, spongiform encephalopathies, PrPC, PrPSc, tansmissible spongiform encephalopathies Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, dendritice cells, Alzheimer disease

  5. Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus in Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyung Kim

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available We discuss a case of a 64-year-old male with a history of liver failure presenting with altered mental status, initially diagnosed with hepatic encephalopathy but ultimately diagnosed with nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE by electroencephalogram (EEG. NCSE is a difficult diagnosis to make, given no clear consensus on diagnostic criteria. Especially in the intensive care unit setting of persistent altered mental status with no clear etiology, NCSE must be considered in the differential diagnosis, as the consequences of delayed diagnosis and treatment can be substantial. EEG can be useful in the evaluation of patients with hepatic encephalopathy who have persistently altered levels of consciousness despite optimal medical management. [West J Emerg Med. 2011;12(4:372–374.

  6. Can the tyrosine kinase inhibitors trigger metabolic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandi, Giovanni; de Rosa, Francesco; Calzà, Laura; Girolamo, Stefania Di; Tufoni, Manuel; Ricci, Carmen Serena; Cirignotta, Fabio; Caraceni, Paolo; Biasco, Guido

    2013-03-01

    Sorafenib is the standard treatment of advanced hepatocarcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients with preserved liver function. It shares many adverse effects with other tyrosine-kinase (TK) inhibitors and antiangiogenic drugs. TK inhibitors could have a direct toxicity on CNS, both by interfering with TK-related pathways and by inhibiting angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sorafenib administration can be associated to metabolic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all cirrhotic patients treated with sorafenib for HCC afferent at our Department from January 2009 to December 2011. Among 62 patients, we identified 10 patients with clinically significant cognitive impairment. Seven of these were clearly diagnosed with overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE), one with brain metastases and two with drug-related toxic-metabolic encephalopathy. These last two cases were characterized by severe cognitive impairment, mood alteration and memory deficit. Clinical exam, blood tests and brain CT excluded organic causes of encephalopathy and precipitating factors of HE. Sorafenib discontinuation was associated with complete reversal of the syndrome, which recurred on drug re-administration in one case. Our study suggests that sorafenib may be a precipitating factor of metabolic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients with advanced HCC. This neurological syndrome appears to be not responsive to the conventional treatment for HE, but it is fully reversible by drug discontinuation. It can be speculated that the potential direct neuronal action of sorafenib may represent a trigger for the onset of metabolic encephalopathy in a subset of cirrhotic patients. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  7. Diffusion weighted MR imaging of acute Wernicke's encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Tae-Ick; Kim, Joong-Seok; Park, Soung-Kyeong; Kim, Beum-Saeng; Ahn, Kook-Jin; Yang, Dong-Won

    2003-01-01

    We report a case of Wernicke's encephalopathy in which diffusion-weighted MR images demonstrated symmetrical hyperintense lesions in the paraventricular area of the third ventricles and medial thalami. Apparent diffusion coefficient mapping showed isointensity in the aforementioned areas. Diffusion-weighted MR images may provide evidence of vasogenic edema associated with thiamine deficiency, proven in the histopathology of experimental animals. In addition, diffusion-weighted MRI has many advantages over T2 or FLARE-weighted brain MRI in detecting structural and functional abnormalities in Wernicke's encephalopathy

  8. Localized Cerebral Energy Failure in DNA Polymerase Gamma-Associated Encephalopathy Syndromes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzoulis, Charalampos; Neckelmann, Gesche; Mork, Sverre J.; Engelsen, Bernt E.; Viscomi, Carlo; Moen, Gunnar; Ersland, Lars; Zeviani, Massimo; Bindoff, Laurence A.

    2010-01-01

    Mutations in the catalytic subunit of the mitochondrial DNA-polymerase gamma cause a wide spectrum of clinical disease ranging from infantile hepato-encephalopathy to juvenile/adult-onset spinocerebellar ataxia and late onset progressive external ophthalmoplegia. Several of these syndromes are associated with an encephalopathy that…

  9. The Thompson Encephalopathy Score and Short-Term Outcomes in Asphyxiated Newborns Treated With Therapeutic Hypothermia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thorsen, Patricia; Jansen-van der Weide, Martine C.; Groenendaal, Floris; Onland, Wes; van Straaten, Henrika L. M.; Zonnenberg, Inge; Vermeulen, Jeroen R.; Dijk, Peter H.; Dudink, Jeroen; Rijken, Monique; van Heijst, Arno; Dijkman, Koen P.; Cools, Filip; Zecic, Alexandra; van Kaam, Anton H.; de Haan, Timo R.

    2016-01-01

    The Thompson encephalopathy score is a clinical score to assess newborns suffering from perinatal asphyxia. Previous studies revealed a high sensitivity and specificity of the Thompson encephalopathy score for adverse outcomes (death or severe disability). Because the Thompson encephalopathy score

  10. Severe posterior reversible encephalopathy in pheochromocytoma: Importance of susceptibility-weighted MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Serter, Asil; Alkan, Alpay; Aralasmak, Ayse; Kocakoc, Ercan [Dept. of Radiology, Bezmialem Vakif University School of Medicine, Istanbul (Turkmenistan)

    2013-10-15

    Pheochromocytoma is a rare cause of hypertension in children. Hypertension is one of the common reasons of posterior reversible encephalopathy. Intracerebral hemorrhage is a serious and unexpected complication of hypertensive encephalopathy due to pheochromocytoma, and very rarely seen in the childhood. Intracerebral hemorrhages should be searched if there are hypertensive reversible signal changes on the brain. Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) is a more sensitive method than conventional MRI when demonstrating cerebral microhemorrhagic foci. This is the first report of SWI findings on intracerebral hemorrhages in basal ganglia, brain stem and periventricular white matter due to hypertensive encephalopathy in a child with pheochromocytoma.

  11. Valproic Acid Induced Hyperammonaemic Encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amanat, S.; Shahbaz, N.; Hassan, Y.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To observe clinical and laboratory features of valproic acid-induced hyperammonaemic encephalopathy in patients taking valproic acid. Methods: Observational study was conducted at the Neurology Department, Dow University of Health Sciences, Civil Hospital, Karachi, from February 26, 2010 to March 20, 2011. Ten patients on valproic acid therapy of any age group with idiopathic or secondary epilepsy, who presented with encephalopathic symptoms, were registered and followed up during the study. Serum ammonia level, serum valproic acid level, liver function test, cerebrospinal fluid examination, electroencephalogram and brain imaging of all the patients were done. Other causes of encephalopathy were excluded after clinical and appropriate laboratory investigations. Microsoft Excel 2007 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Hyperammonaemia was found in all patients with encephalopathic symptoms. Rise in serum ammonia was independent of dose and serum level of valproic acid. Liver function was also found to be normal in 80% (n=8) of the patients. Valproic acid was withdrawn in all patients. Three (30%) patients improved only after the withdrawal of valproic acid. Six (60%) patients improved after L-Carnitine replacement, one (10%) after sodium benzoate. On followup, serum ammonia had reduced to normal in five (50%) patients and to more than half of the baseline level in two (20%) patients. Three (30%) patients were lost to followup after complete clinical improvement. Conclusion: Within therapeutic dose and serum levels, valproic acid can cause symptomatic hyperammonaemia resulting in encephalopathy. All patients taking valproic acid presenting with encephalopathic symptoms must be monitored for the condition. (author)

  12. Treatment of Hyponatremic Encephalopathy in the Critically Ill.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Achinger, Steven G; Ayus, Juan Carlos

    2017-10-01

    Hyponatremic encephalopathy, symptomatic cerebral edema due to a low osmolar state, is a medical emergency and often encountered in the ICU setting. This article provides a critical appraisal and review of the literature on identification of high-risk patients and the treatment of this life-threatening disorder. Online search of the PubMed database and manual review of articles involving risk factors for hyponatremic encephalopathy and treatment of hyponatremic encephalopathy in critical illness. Hyponatremic encephalopathy is a frequently encountered problem in the ICU. Prompt recognition of hyponatremic encephalopathy and early treatment with hypertonic saline are critical for successful outcomes. Manifestations are varied, depending on the extent of CNS's adaptation to the hypoosmolar state. The absolute change in serum sodium alone is a poor predictor of clinical symptoms. However, certain patient specific risks factors are predictive of a poor outcome and are important to identify. Gender (premenopausal and postmenopausal females), age (prepubertal children), and the presence of hypoxia are the three main clinical risk factors and are more predictive of poor outcomes than the rate of development of hyponatremia or the absolute decrease in the serum sodium. In patients with hyponatremic encephalopathy exhibiting neurologic manifestations, a bolus of 100 mL of 3% saline, given over 10 minutes, should be promptly administered. The goal of this initial bolus is to quickly treat cerebral edema. If signs persist, the bolus should be repeated in order to achieve clinical remission. However, the total change in serum sodium should not exceed 5 mEq/L in the initial 1-2 hours and 15-20 mEq/L in the first 48 hours of treatment. It has recently been demonstrated in a prospective fashion that 500 mL of 3% saline at an infusion rate of 100 mL per hour can be given safely. It is critical to recognize the early signs of cerebral edema (nausea, vomiting, and headache

  13. Magnetic resonance imaging in a case of Wernicke's encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pagnan, L.; Pozzi-Mucelli, R.S.; Berlot, G.

    1998-01-01

    Wernicke's encephalopathy is an uncommon disorder caused by a thiamine deficiency which is clinically characterized by the triad of ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and disturbances of consciousness, each finding being variably present. The disease is caused by malnutrition or malabsorption, and is often associated with prolonged alcohol intake, neoplasm and extensive inflammatory processes of the digestive tract and parenteral hyperalimentation-induced gastrointestinal mucosal atrophy. Clinical diagnosis can be elusive and MRI may be the only imaging technique able to detect the cerebral lesions, whose type and distribution are characteristic of the Wernicke's encephalopathy, whereas CT is positive only in exceptional cases. We report a case of a 56-year-old woman who developed a Wernicke's encephalopathy 1 month after a colonic resection with signal intensity changes located in the mammillary bodies and in the medial thalamic nuclei. (orig.)

  14. Acute Infantile Encephalopathy Predominantly Affecting The Frontal Lobes (AIEF).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raha, Sarbani; Udani, Vrajesh

    2012-12-01

    Acute Infantile Encephalopathy Predominantly Affecting the Frontal Lobes (AIEF) is a relatively recent described entity. This article includes case reports of two patients who had bifrontal involvement during acute febrile encephalopathy. Case 1 describes a 1-y-old boy who presented with hyperpyrexia and dialeptic seizures. Imaging revealed significant bilateral frontal lobe involvement while serology proved presence of Influenza B infection. Over a period of one wk, he recovered with significant cognitive decline and perseveratory behavior. Another 6-y-old boy presented with language and behavioral problems suggestive of frontal dysfunction after recovering from prolonged impairment of consciousness following a convulsive status epilepticus. Bilateral superior frontal lesions with gyral swelling was evident on neuroimaging. These cases are among the very few cases of AIEF described in recent literature and the article also reviews this unique subtype of acute encephalopathy.

  15. Probiotics for people with hepatic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalal, Rohan; McGee, Richard G; Riordan, Stephen M; Webster, Angela C

    2017-02-23

    Hepatic encephalopathy is a disorder of brain function as a result of liver failure or portosystemic shunt or both. Both hepatic encephalopathy (clinically overt) and minimal hepatic encephalopathy (not clinically overt) significantly impair patient's quality of life and daily functioning, and represent a significant burden on healthcare resources. Probiotics are live micro-organisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, may confer a health benefit on the host. To determine the beneficial and harmful effects of probiotics in any dosage, compared with placebo or no intervention, or with any other treatment for people with any grade of acute or chronic hepatic encephalopathy. This review did not consider the primary prophylaxis of hepatic encephalopathy. We searched The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded, conference proceedings, reference lists of included trials, and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform until June 2016. We included randomised clinical trials that compared probiotics in any dosage with placebo or no intervention, or with any other treatment in people with hepatic encephalopathy. We used standard methodological procedures expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. We conducted random-effects model meta-analysis due to obvious heterogeneity of participants and interventions. We defined a P value of 0.05 or less as significant. We expressed dichotomous outcomes as risk ratio (RR) and continuous outcomes as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We included 21 trials with 1420 participants, of these, 14 were new trials. Fourteen trials compared a probiotic with placebo or no treatment, and seven trials compared a probiotic with lactulose. The trials used a variety of probiotics; the most commonly used group of probiotic was VSL#3, a proprietary name for a group of eight probiotics. Duration of administration

  16. Delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet İbrahim Turan

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Carbon monoxide poisoning is a major cause of death following attempted suicide and accidental exposures. Although clinical presentation depends on the duration and the intensity of exposure, the assessment of the severity of intoxication is difficult. A small percentage of patients who show complete initial recovery may develop delayed neurological deficits. Delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning is a rare and poor prognosis neurologic disorders and there is no specific treatment. We present a case with early onset of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning with typical cranial imaging findings in a child with atypical history and clinical presentation.

  17. Correlation of hyponatremia with hepatic encephalopathy and severity of liver disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qureshi, Muhammad Omar; Khokhar, Nasir; Saleem, Atif; Niazi, Tariq Khan

    2014-02-01

    To assess the frequency of low serum sodium levels and to correlate it with the severity of liver disease and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in patients coming to the tertiary care hospital. Observational study. Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, from January 2011 to January 2012. A total of 202 patients with hepatic encephalopathy and chronic liver disease had serum sodium measured. The HE was graded according to the West Haven classification (4 grades). Relationship of hyponatremia was correlated with severity grade of encephalopathy using Spearman rank correlation test. Out of 202 patients, 62 (30.7%) patients had serum sodium less than 130 meq/l. Out of 202, HE was present in 69 (34.15%) patients and out of these, 38 had grade III-IV HE and 31 had grade I - II HE. Out of 69 patients with HE 57 had sodium less than 135 (p liver disease. The existence of serum sodium concentration encephalopathy compared with patients with serum sodium concentration > 135 mmol/L.

  18. The French surveillance network of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Epidemiological data in France and worldwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandel, J-P; Peckeu, L; Haïk, S

    2013-09-01

    France, involved for a long time in the epidemiological surveillance of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), created a national network of surveillance in 1991, because of the description of the first cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) linked to a treatment by growth hormone of human origin and the observation of cases of cats infected with the agent of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United Kingdom (UK). The French surveillance network is integrated into the European network of surveillance since its creation in 1993. As in other countries, sporadic CJD is the most frequent form of TSE in France with an annual mortality rate of 1.44 per million. Genetic forms are most often associated with a mutation at codon 200. Among the cases of iatrogenic CJD, 13 cases of CJD after duramater grafts were observed and 119 related to treatment with growth hormone. France is the country worst affected in Europe and the world by this latter form, before the USA and UK. Since 1996, 27 cases of variant of CJD (vCJD) has been observed, making France the second country in the world most affected after the UK. No cases of transfusion-associated vCJD have been observed. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  19. Brain gamma-aminobutyric acid deficiency in dialysis encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweeney, V P; Perry, T L; Price, J D; Reeve, C E; Godolphin, W J; Kish, S J

    1985-02-01

    We measured levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the CSF and in the autopsied brain of patients with dialysis encephalopathy. GABA concentrations were low in the CSF of three of five living patients. Mean GABA content was reduced by 30 to 50% in five brain regions (frontal, occipital, and cerebellar cortex, caudate nucleus, and medial dorsal thalamus) in five fatal cases. GABA content was normal in brain regions where GABA is characteristically reduced in Huntington's disease. Choline acetyltransferase activity was diminished (by 25 to 35%) in cerebral cortex of the dialysis encephalopathy patients.

  20. The thalamus in cirrhotic patients with and without hepatic encephalopathy: A volumetric MRI study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tao, Ran; Zhang, Jiuquan; You, Zhonglan; Wei, Luqing; Fan, Yi; Cui, Jinguo; Wang, Jian

    2013-01-01

    Background and aims: The thalamus is a major relay and filter station in the central neural system. Some previous studies have suggested that the thalamus maybe implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. The aim of our study was to investigate changing thalamic volumes in cirrhotic patients with and without hepatic encephalopathy. Methods: Neuropsychological tests and structural MR scanning were performed on 24 cirrhotic patients, 23 cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy, 24 cirrhotic patients during their first episode of overt hepatic encephalopathy, and 33 healthy controls. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed to detect gray matter morphological changes. The thalamus and whole brain volume were extrapolated. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of thalamic volumes was used to discriminate patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy from those with hepatic cirrhosis. Results: Thalamic volume increased in a stepwise manner in patients with progressively worse stages of hepatic encephalopathy compared to healthy subjects. Additionally, a comparison of gray matter morphometry between patients with Child–Pugh grades A, B, or C and controls revealed a progression in thalamic volumes in parallel with the degree of liver failure. Moreover, thalamic volume was significantly correlated with the number connection test A time and digit-symbol test score in cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (r = 0.659, P = 0.001; r = −0.577, P = 0.004; respectively). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.827 (P = 0.001). Conclusions: A significantly increased thalamic volume may be provide an objective imaging measure for predicting seizures due to minimal hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients

  1. The thalamus in cirrhotic patients with and without hepatic encephalopathy: A volumetric MRI study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tao, Ran, E-mail: taoran1648@yahoo.cn [Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China); Department of Radiology, Bethune International Peace Hospital of People' s Liberty Army, Shijiazhuang 050082, Hebei Province (China); Zhang, Jiuquan, E-mail: jiuquanzhang@yahoo.com [Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China); You, Zhonglan, E-mail: you_zhonglan@163.com [Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China); Wei, Luqing, E-mail: weiluqing@foxmail.com [Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China); Fan, Yi, E-mail: fanyi1978@yahoo.cn [Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China); Cui, Jinguo, E-mail: cuijinguo2005@163.com [Department of Radiology, Bethune International Peace Hospital of People' s Liberty Army, Shijiazhuang 050082, Hebei Province (China); Wang, Jian, E-mail: wangjian_811@yahoo.com [Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China)

    2013-11-01

    Background and aims: The thalamus is a major relay and filter station in the central neural system. Some previous studies have suggested that the thalamus maybe implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. The aim of our study was to investigate changing thalamic volumes in cirrhotic patients with and without hepatic encephalopathy. Methods: Neuropsychological tests and structural MR scanning were performed on 24 cirrhotic patients, 23 cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy, 24 cirrhotic patients during their first episode of overt hepatic encephalopathy, and 33 healthy controls. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed to detect gray matter morphological changes. The thalamus and whole brain volume were extrapolated. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of thalamic volumes was used to discriminate patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy from those with hepatic cirrhosis. Results: Thalamic volume increased in a stepwise manner in patients with progressively worse stages of hepatic encephalopathy compared to healthy subjects. Additionally, a comparison of gray matter morphometry between patients with Child–Pugh grades A, B, or C and controls revealed a progression in thalamic volumes in parallel with the degree of liver failure. Moreover, thalamic volume was significantly correlated with the number connection test A time and digit-symbol test score in cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (r = 0.659, P = 0.001; r = −0.577, P = 0.004; respectively). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.827 (P = 0.001). Conclusions: A significantly increased thalamic volume may be provide an objective imaging measure for predicting seizures due to minimal hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients.

  2. Hypothyroidism-induced Reversible Encephalopathy as a Cause of Aggravation of Parkinsonism and Myoclonus in Parkinson's Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehm, Gwanhee; Kim, Han-Joon; Jeon, Beomseok

    2017-01-01

    Myoclonus and encephalopathy are unusual in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We describe the case of a 59-year-old male with PD who developed myoclonus and encephalopathy. Underlying hypothyroidism was revealed after admission and treated with levothyroxine. Myoclonus and encephalopathy were completely resolved following thyroid hormone replacement. Hypothyroidism can cause reversible myoclonus and encephalopathy along with unusual aggravation of parkinsonism symptoms in patients with PD.

  3. Early Recognition of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Through FDDNP PET Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    characteristic distribution is felt to be the cardinal pathologic feature of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. This project will examine whether FDDNP PET...chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Pathological series have indicated that a characteristic feature of CTE is accumulation of tau protein in the...3. Accomplishments: Major goals: Upon receiving approval from the Human Research Protection Office, enrollment of participants began in March , 2015

  4. COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF POSTERIOR REVERSIBLE ENCEPHALOPATHY SYNDROME

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    Vishwaprem Raj

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES is a neurotoxic state that occurs secondary to the inability of posterior circulation to autoregulate. The clinical spectrum and the underlying pathophysiology are still poorly defined. No conclusive evidence has been put forward regarding the relationship between clinical conditions and specific imaging findings of severity or location of oedema. PURPOSE To assess the role of computed tomography in evaluation of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS 55 patients referred to the Department of Radio-Diagnosis, with a history of neurological abnormalities, including altered mental function, visual loss, stupor with a predisposing history favouring PRES and followed up for a period of 10 – 30 days. RESULTS 21 patients (38.2% were females. 32 patients (58.1% were in the age group between 21 to 30 years. Predisposing condition; 16 (29.1% presented with pre-eclampsia, 12 (21.8% with post-partum status in altered sensorium, 9 (16.4% with seizures, 7 (12.7% with hypertension, 6 (10.9% with visual disturbances, 4 (7.3% with eclampsia and 1 (1.8% with uraemia. 20 cases (36.4% showed findings suggestive of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome on initial computed tomography examination. 35 cases showed no initial radiological evidence suggestive of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. Of the 20 cases which showed computed tomographic evidence of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, recovery was noted in 5 cases (9.1%. Persistence of findings detected on first CT was noted in 13 patients (23.6%. Regional predominance of the lesions was as follows. Frontal lobe (39%, Parietal lobe (32%, Temporal lobe (15% and occipital lobe (15%. CONCLUSION Varied clinical manifestations are associated with anatomical findings recognisable by neuro-imaging as PRES. Prompt imaging is necessary for the recognition of the condition and appropriate

  5. Management of Hepatic Encephalopathy

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    G. Wright

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Hepatic encephalopathy (HE, the neuropsychiatric presentation of liver disease, is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Reduction of plasma ammonia remains the central therapeutic strategy, but there is a need for newer novel therapies. We discuss current evidence supporting the use of interventions for both the general management of chronic HE and that necessary for more acute and advanced disease.

  6. The relationship between plasma free fatty acids and experimentally induced hepatic encephalopathy in the rat

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smit, J. J.; Bosman, D. K.; Jörning, G. G.; de Haan, J. G.; Maas, M. A.; Chamuleau, R. A.

    1991-01-01

    Two experimental models of hepatic encephalopathy in the rat have been investigated in order to study the postulated relationship between plasma free fatty acids concentration (C6 - C22:0) and the degree of hepatic encephalopathy. As a model of chronic hepatic encephalopathy, porta caval shunted

  7. Colectomy for porto-systemic encephalopathy: is it still topical?

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    Rym Ennaifer

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Hepatic encephalopathy (HE is a common long term complication of porto-systemic shunt. We report herein the case of a 59-year-old man with Child-Pugh A cirrhosis treated successfully 9 years earlier with distal splenorenal shunt for uncontrolled variceal bleeding. In the last year, he developed a severe and persistent hepatic encephalopathy secondary to the shunt, which was resistant to medical therapy. As liver transplantation was not available and obliteration of the shunt was hazardous, we performed subtotal colectomy in order to reduce ammonia production. This therapeutic option proved successful, as the grade of encephalopathy decreased and the patient improved. Our experience indicates that colonic exclusion should be considered as an option in the management of HE refractory to medical treatment in highly selected patients when liver transplantation is not available or even as a bridge given the long waiting time on lists.

  8. Guillain-Barre syndrome with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome

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    Basavaraj F Banakar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES is a clinicoradiologic entity commonly associated with eclampsia, septicemia, chemotherapeutic drugs etc. Concurrent occurrence of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS with PRES is a rare entity. Dysautonomia is a proposed mechanism for such occurrence. Here we present a non-diabetic, non-hypertensive 63-year-old male patient, who came with acute onset flaccid quadriparesis, developing generalized seizures, altered sensorium and raised blood pressure on fifth day of illness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI of brain showed altered signal intensities involving the parieto-occipital areas suggestive of posterior reversible encephalopathy. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed albuminocytological dissociation, nerve conduction studies revealed demyelinating type of polyneuropathy. The patient was treated with antihypertensives and antiepileptics. After resolution of the encephalopathy, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg was given. The patient recovered gradually over few months. Our case concludes GBS as independent risk factor, for PRES may be secondary to dysautonomia and physicians should be aware of such rare coexistence so that early treatment can be done to reduce the mortality and morbidity.

  9. "Symptomatic" infection-associated acute encephalopathy in children with underlying neurological disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirayama, Yoshimichi; Saito, Yoshiaki; Maegaki, Yoshihiro

    2017-03-01

    Development of infection-associated acute encephalopathy (AE) is precipitated by several factors, including viral agents, age, and genetic polymorphisms. In addition, children with prior underlying neurological disorders can also present with AE. We reviewed 55 children with AE who were referred to hospitals participating in the Status Epilepticus Study Group from 1988 to 2013. AE was classified into eight subtypes: acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion (AESD); hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia syndrome (HH); acute necrotizing encephalopathy; hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome (HSES); clinically mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion; acute encephalitis with refractory, repetitive partial seizures; Reye-like syndrome; and unclassified. Of the 55 AE cases, 14 (25.4%) had underlying neurological disorders, including perinatal insults (n=6) and genetic syndrome and/or brain malformations (n=8). These preceding morbidities were relatively common in AESD (6/18, 33.3%), HH (3/9, 33.3%), and HSES (3/6, 50.0%). History of epilepsy or febrile seizures were frequent in HH cases (4/9, 44.4%), whereas they were rare in other AE subtypes. Among the AE subgroups, HH, HSES, and AESD frequently emerged in preceding etiologies with augmented neuronal excitability. These subgroups may have distinct pathomechanism from the "cytokine storm" mediated AEs during childhood. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. The Structural Stability of Wild-type Horse Prion Protein - Molecular Dynamics Studies

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, Jiapu

    2011-01-01

    Prion diseases {\\it (e.g. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), variant CJD (vCJD), Gerstmann-Str$\\ddot{\\text{a}}$ussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS), Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) and Kuru in humans, scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or `mad-cow' disease) and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cattles)} are invariably fatal and highly infectious neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans and animals. However, by now there have not been some effective therapeutic approaches or med...

  11. Prion Infectivity in Fat of Deer with Chronic Wasting Disease▿

    OpenAIRE

    Race, Brent; Meade-White, Kimberly; Race, Richard; Chesebro, Bruce

    2009-01-01

    Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a neurodegenerative prion disease of cervids. Some animal prion diseases, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, can infect humans; however, human susceptibility to CWD is unknown. In ruminants, prion infectivity is found in central nervous system and lymphoid tissues, with smaller amounts in intestine and muscle. In mice, prion infectivity was recently detected in fat. Since ruminant fat is consumed by humans and fed to animals, we determined infectivity t...

  12. [Changes in serotonin and noradrenaline in hepatic encephalopathy as a result of liver failure in rat].

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    Song, Min-ning; Song, Yu-na; Chen, Fu; Luo, Mei-lan

    2007-01-01

    To investigate the changes in serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline (NA) in hepatic encephalopathy as a result of acute and chronic liver failure in rat. One hundred and ten Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into groups of normal control (n=20), experimental group of acute liver failure (ALF) encephalopathy (n=45), and experimental group of chronic liver failure (CLF) encephalopathy (n=45). Two dosages of thioacetamide (TAA) of 500 mg/kg were gavaged with an interval of 24 hours to reproduce ALF model. To reproduce CLF model rats were fed with 0.03% TAA in drinking water for 10 weeks, and 50% of TAA dosage was added or withheld according to the change in weekly body weight measurement. Animals were sacrificed and venous blood specimens were obtained after successful replication of model, and 5-HT, NA, ammonia, parameters of liver function were determined, and liver and brain were studied pathologically. The experiment showed that the liver functions of rats in groups ALF encephalopathy and CLF encephalopathy deteriorated seriously, changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), albumen (ALB), ALB/globulin (A/G), and blood ammonia were observed(Pliver and brain pathologies were identical to those of ALF and CLF encephalopathy. The values of 5-HT were increased in groups ALF encephalopathy and CLF encephalopathy [(16.06+/-1.08) micromol/L and (15.32+/-1.48) micromol/L] compared with the normal group [(2.75+/-0.26) micromol/L, both Pencephalopathy [(94.0+/-2.13) pmol/L vs.(121.2+/-14.8) pmol/L,Pencephalopathy and CLF encephalopathy. The content of NA decreases remarkably in CLF encephalopathy.

  13. Intrapartum fever and chorioamnionitis as risks for encephalopathy in term newborns: a case-control study.

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    Blume, Heidi K; Li, Christopher I; Loch, Christian M; Koepsell, Thomas D

    2008-01-01

    In this study we examined the relationship between diagnoses of isolated intrapartum fever or chorioamnionitis and the risk of encephalopathy in term newborns. We conducted a population-based, case-control study in Washington State using 1994 to 2002 linked data from the Washington State Birth Registry and the Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System (CHARS). We identified 1060 singleton, term newborns (602 males, 458 females) with International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) diagnoses consistent with encephalopathy, and 5330 unaffected control newborns (2756 males, 2574 females). Intrapartum fever was defined by a diagnosis of intrapartum temperature of >38 degrees C in the birth registry or CHARS databases. Chorioamnionitis was defined using ICD-9 diagnoses recorded in CHARS. We identified 2.2 cases of encephalopathy per 1000 births. Isolated intrapartum fever was associated with a 3.1-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3-4.2) increased risk of newborn encephalopathy. Chorioamnionitis was associated with a 5.4-fold (95% CI 3.6-7.8) increased risk of encephalopathy. We found that isolated intrapartum fever and chorioamnionitis were independently associated with an increased risk of encephalopathy in term infants. Our data also indicate that there is a spectrum of risk for encephalopathy in term infants exposed to intrapartum fever. Infants born to women with signs of chorioamnionitis other than isolated intrapartum fever may be at higher risk of encephalopathy than those exposed only to isolated intrapartum fever.

  14. Case of hepatic encephalopathy induced by thortrast

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    Shirato, H.; Kudo, N.; Takita, K. (Nakatori Hospital, Akita (Japan))

    1980-09-01

    A case of hepatic encephalopathy induced by thorotrast injected as a contrast 40 years before was reported. The patient was a 64-year-old man with severe liver dysfunction, and had psychic and neurological symptoms, and hyperammonemia. There was a relationship between ammonium concentration in blood and psychic and neurological symptoms. Electroencephalogram showed three phases waves peculiar to hepatic coma intermittently. Thorotrast in the liver was detected by radiological methods and in vivo measurement of the radioactivity. From the above-mentioned result, this disease was diagnosed as hepatic encephalopathy induced by long-term sedimentation of thorotrast without complication of malignant tumors. Because of the concurrent presence of cerebral infarction, the diagnosis was difficult to make.

  15. Antepartum risk factors for newborn encephalopathy: the Western Australian case-control study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badawi, Nadia; Kurinczuk, Jennifer J; Keogh, John M; Alessandri, Louisa M; O’Sullivan, Fiona; Burton, Paul R; Pemberton, Patrick J; Stanley, Fiona J

    1998-01-01

    Objective To ascertain antepartum predictors of newborn encephalopathy in term infants. Design Population based, unmatched case-control study. Setting Metropolitan area of Western Australia, June 1993 to September 1995. Subjects All 164 term infants with moderate or severe newborn encephalopathy; 400 randomly selected controls. Main outcome measures Adjusted odds ratio estimates. Results The birth prevalence of moderate or severe newborn encephalopathy was 3.8/1000 term live births. The neonatal fatality was 9.1%. The risk of newborn encephalopathy increased with increasing maternal age and decreased with increasing parity. There was an increased risk associated with having a mother who was unemployed (odds ratio 3.60), an unskilled manual worker (3.84), or a housewife (2.48). Other risk factors from before conception were not having private health insurance (3.46), a family history of seizures (2.55), a family history of neurological disease (2.73), and infertility treatment (4.43). Risk factors during pregnancy were maternal thyroid disease (9.7), severe pre-eclampsia (6.30), moderate or severe bleeding (3.57), a clinically diagnosed viral illness (2.97), not having drunk alcohol (2.91); and placenta described at delivery as abnormal (2.07). Factors related to the baby were birth weight adjusted for gestational age between the third and ninth centile (4.37) or below the third centile (38.23). The risk relation with gestational age was J shaped with 38 and 39 weeks having the lowest risk. Conclusions The causes of newborn encephalopathy are heterogeneous and many of the causal pathways start before birth. Key messagesThe birth prevalence of moderate or severe newborn encephalopathy was 3.8 per 1000 term live births and the neonatal case fatality was 9.1%Independent risk factors before conception and in the antepartum period for newborn encephalopathy include socioeconomic status, family history of seizures or other neurological disease, conception after

  16. Targeted resequencing in epileptic encephalopathies identifies de novo mutations in CHD2 and SYNGAP1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carvill, Gemma L; Heavin, Sinéad B; Yendle, Simone C

    2013-01-01

    Epileptic encephalopathies are a devastating group of epilepsies with poor prognosis, of which the majority are of unknown etiology. We perform targeted massively parallel resequencing of 19 known and 46 candidate genes for epileptic encephalopathy in 500 affected individuals (cases) to identify...... CHD2 and SYNGAP1 mutations are new causes of epileptic encephalopathies, accounting for 1.2% and 1% of cases, respectively. We also expand the phenotypic spectra explained by SCN1A, SCN2A and SCN8A mutations. To our knowledge, this is the largest cohort of cases with epileptic encephalopathies...

  17. Inflammatory Macrophages Promotes Development of Diabetic Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Beiyun; Miao, Ya; Zhao, Zhe; Zhong, Yuan

    2015-01-01

    Diabetes and Alzheimer's disease are often associated with each other, whereas the relationship between two diseases is ill-defined. Although hyperglycemia during diabetes is a major cause of encephalopathy, diabetes may also cause chronic inflammatory complications including peripheral neuropathy. Hence the role and the characteristics of inflammatory macrophages in the development of diabetic encephalopathy need to be clarified. Diabetes were induced in mice by i.p. injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Two weeks after STZ injection and confirmation of development of diabetes, inflammatory macrophages were eliminated by i.p. injection of 20µg saporin-conjugated antibody against a macrophage surface marker CD11b (saporin-CD11b) twice per week, while a STZ-treated group received injection of rat IgG of same frequency as a control. The effects of macrophage depletion on brain degradation markers, brain malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, superoxidase anion-positive cells and nitric oxide (NO) were measured. Saporin-CD11b significantly reduced inflammatory macrophages in brain, without affecting mouse blood glucose, serum insulin, glucose responses and beta cell mass. However, reduced brain macrophages significantly inhibited the STZ-induced decreases in brain MDA, catalase and superoxidase anion-positive cells, and the STZ-induced decreases in brain NO. Inflammatory macrophages may promote development of diabetic encephalopathy. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  18. Early progressive encephalopathy in boys and MECP2 mutations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kankirawatana, P; Leonard, H; Ellaway, C; Scurlock, J; Mansour, A; Makris, C M; Dure, L S; Friez, M; Lane, J; Kiraly-Borri, C; Fabian, V; Davis, M; Jackson, J; Christodoulou, J; Kaufmann, W E; Ravine, D; Percy, A K

    2006-07-11

    MECP2 mutations mainly occur in females with Rett syndrome. Mutations have been described in 11 boys with progressive encephalopathy: seven of nine with affected sisters and two de novo. The authors report four de novo occurrences: three pathogenic and one potentially pathogenic. Common features include failure to thrive, respiratory insufficiency, microcephaly, and abnormal motor control. MECP2 mutations should be assessed in boys with progressive encephalopathy and one or more of respiratory insufficiency, abnormal movements or tone, and intractable seizures.

  19. Population pharmacokinetics of phenobarbital in infants with neonatal encephalopathy treated with therapeutic hypothermia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shellhaas, Renée A; Ng, Chee M; Dillon, Christina H; Barks, John D E; Bhatt-Mehta, Varsha

    2013-02-01

    Phenobarbital is the first-line treatment for neonatal seizures. Many neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy are treated with therapeutic hypothermia, and about 40% have clinical seizures. Little is known about the pharmacokinetics of phenobarbital in infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy who undergo therapeutic hypothermia. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of therapeutic hypothermia on phenobarbital pharmacokinetics, taking into account maturational changes. Level 3 neonatal ICU. Infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and suspected seizures, all treated with phenobarbital. Some of these infants also received treatment with therapeutic hypothermia. None. A retrospective cohort study of 39 infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy treated with phenobarbital (20 were treated with therapeutic hypothermia and 19 were not). Data on phenobarbital plasma concentrations were collected in 39 subjects with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy with or without therapeutic hypothermia. Using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling, population pharmacokinetics of phenobarbital were developed with a total of 164 plasma concentrations. A one-compartment model best described the pharmacokinetics. The clearance of phenobarbital was linearly related to body weight and matured with increasing age with a maturation half-life of 22.1 days. Therapeutic hypothermia did not influence the pharmacokinetic parameters of phenobarbital. Therapeutic hypothermia does not influence the clearance of phenobarbital after accounting for weight and age. Standard phenobarbital dosing is appropriate for the initial treatment of seizures in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy treated with therapeutic hypothermia.

  20. Acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy after fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy: A case series and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitani, Seiichiro; Kadowaki, Shigenori; Komori, Azusa; Sugiyama, Keiji; Narita, Yukiya; Taniguchi, Hiroya; Ura, Takashi; Ando, Masashi; Sato, Yozo; Yamaura, Hidekazu; Inaba, Yoshitaka; Ishihara, Makoto; Tanaka, Tsutomu; Tajika, Masahiro; Muro, Kei

    2017-06-01

    Acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy induced by fluoropyrimidines (FPs) is a rare complication. Its pathophysiology remains unclear, especially given the currently used regimens, including intermediate-doses of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or oral FP agents. We aimed to characterize the clinical manifestations in cancer patients who developed hyperammonemic encephalopathy after receiving FP-based chemotherapy.We retrospectively reviewed 1786 patients with gastrointestinal or primary-unknown cancer who received FP-based regimens between 2007 and 2012. Eleven patients (0.6%) developed acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy. The incidence according to the administered anticancer drugs were as follows: 5-FU (8 of 1176, 0.7%), S-1 (1 of 679, 0.1%), capecitabine (2 of 225, 0.9%), and tegafur-uracil (UFT) (0 of 39, 0%). Ten patients (90.9%) had at least 1 aggravating factor, including infection, dehydration, constipation, renal dysfunction, and muscle loss. All the 10 patients met the definition of sarcopenia. Median time to the onset of hyperammonemic encephalopathy in the cycle was 3 days (range: 2-21). Three patients (27.3%) developed encephalopathy during the first cycle of the regimen and the remaining 8 patients during the second or more cycles. Seven patients (63.6%) had received at least 1 other FP-containing regimen before without episodes of encephalopathy.All patients recovered soon after immediate discontinuation of chemotherapy and supportive therapies, such as hydration, infusion of branched-chain amino acids, and oral lactulose intake, with a median time to recovery of 2 days (range: encephalopathy due to S-1 monotherapy, received modified FOLFOX-6 therapy without encephalopathy later.FP-associated acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy is extremely rare, but a possible event at any time and even during the administration of oral FP agents. Particular attention is warranted when giving FP-based therapy for patients with aggravating factors, such as sarcopenia. This

  1. Late onset arginase deficiency presenting with encephalopathy and midbrain hyperintensity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boby Varkey Maramattom

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Urea cycle disorders (UCD are very rare metabolic disorders that present with encephalopathy and hyperammonemia. Of the UCDs, Arginase deficiency (ARD is the rarest and presents in childhood with a progressive spastic diplegia or seizures. Acute presentation in adulthood is extremely unusual. [1] We present the first case of adult onset ARD presenting with encephalopathy and diffusion weighted MRI findings that resembled a moustache in the midbrain.

  2. Hepatic Encephalopathy: Early Diagnosis in Pediatric Patients With Cirrhosis

    OpenAIRE

    DARA, Naghi; SAYYARI, Ali-Akbar; IMANZADEH, Farid

    2014-01-01

    How to Cite This Article: Dara N, Sayyari AA, Imanzadeh F. Hepatic Encephalopathy: Early Diagnosis in Pediatric Patients With Cirrhosis. Iran J Child Neurol. 2014 Winter; 8(1):1-11.ObjectiveAs acute liver failure (ALF) and chronic liver disease (cirrhosis) continue to increase in prevalence, we will see more cases of hepatic encephalopathy.Primary care physician are often the first to suspect it, since they are familiar with the patient’s usual physical and mental status. This serious complic...

  3. Current state of knowledge of hepatic encephalopathy (part IV): Management of Hepatic Encephalopathy by liver support systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassanein, Tarek

    2017-04-01

    Hepatic Encephalopathy is a devastating complication of End-Stage Liver Disease. In its severe grades it requires extra intervention beyond the standard medical approaches. In this article were view the role of liver support systems in managing hepatic encephalopthy.

  4. Effect of water deionisers on 'fracturing osteodystrophy' and dialysis encephalopathy in Plymouth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leather, H M; Lewin, I G; Calder, E; Braybrooke, J; Cox, R R

    1981-01-01

    In the Plymouth area, 95 patients with end-stage renal failure have undergone haemodialysis for 6 months or longer. Of the 47 patients beginning dialysis between 1967 and 1973, when water deionisers were not used routinely, a bone disease with multiple fractures, 'fracturing osteodystrophy', occurred in 18 patients and dialysis encephalopathy in 10. Of the 48 patients first dialysing between 1974 and 1979, when water deionisers used commonly, fracturing osteodystrophy occurred in only one and dialysis encephalopathy also in only one. Duration of dialysis without a water deioniser appeared to be the most important factor in the development of these two conditions. The use of water deionisers usually led to healing of fractures in patients with fracturing osteodystrophy and also led to improvement in 4 of the 11 patients with dialysis encephalopathy. Neither condition has occurred in any patient using a water deioniser from the first dialysis. Water deionisers, therefore, appeared to be effective in both the treatment and prevention of fracturing osteodystrophy and dialysis encephalopathy.

  5. A woman with thyrotoxicosis- and hyperemesis gravidarum-associated Wernicke's encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anaforoğlu, İnan; Yildiz, Bülent; İnceçayir, Ömer; Algün, Ekrem

    2012-01-01

    Although hyperthyroidism arising from primary thyroid disease is rare in pregnancy, transient gestational hyperthyroidism is not uncommon. This condition can be associated with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), and Wernicke's encephalopathy. We present the case of a woman with toxic nodular goiter complicating HG-associated Wernicke's encephalopathy. A 38-year-old Caucasian woman, who had received a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism and HG early in her pregnancy, had intrauterine fetal death at Week 16 of gestation. One day after undergoing therapeutic abortion, she was admitted to our clinic with persistent thyrotoxicosis, nausea, and vomiting. A toxic thyroid nodule was detected. She was given antithyroid medication, total parenteral nutrition. On Day 10 of hospitalization, she developed ataxia, aphasia, and somnolence. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed increased bilateral thalamic signalization. She was given a diagnosis of Wernicke's metabolic encephalopathy, for which she received thiamine and multivitamin preparations. She responded dramatically on the second day of thiamine therapy. Her consciousness improved rapidly and she began to speak. Her muscle tone was slightly weak and she had paresthesias in both legs. Absorption of thiamine may be particularly impaired in pregnant women with hyperemesis and hyperthyroid disease. Wernicke's encephalopathy should be considered in hyperthyroid women with HG who develop neurological abnormalities.

  6. HHV-6 symptoms in central nervous system. Encephalitis and encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshinari, Satoshi; Hamano, Shinichiro

    2007-01-01

    Described is the present knowledge of central nervous symptoms, mainly encephalitis and encephalopathy, caused by the primary infection of human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) in the pediatric field. Discovery of HHV-6 is in 1986, the virus, normally latent, has a high nervous affinity, and most infants are infected until the age of 3 years. Encephalitis and encephalopathy caused by the primary infection can be derived from direct viral invasion in nervous system or secondary like that through angitis. Most of early clinical symptoms are febrile convulsion. Imaging of the head by MRI particularly with diffusion weighted imaging and by cerebral blood flow SPECT with 123 I-infetamine (IMP) is important for classification of encephalitis and encephalopathy by HHV-6: Four types of them are defined according to the area of lesion observed in abnormal images, the basal nuclei-diencephalon-brainstem, frontal lobe-dominant one, cerebral hemisphere and diffusive one. Further reviewed are the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis together with other HHV-6 related problems like infection in neonate, temporal lobe epilepsy and drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome. Current topics are related with activation of latent HHV-6. Despite numerous findings, many remain to be elucidated in acute encephalitis and encephalopathy which are most important in pediatrics. (R.T.)

  7. A Critical Case of Wernicke's Encephalopathy Induced by Hyperemesis Gravidarum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byung Ju Kang

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Wernicke’s encephalopathy is a reversible but potentially critical disease caused by thiamine deficiency. Most patients complain of symptoms such as ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and confusion. Heavy alcohol drinking is commonly associated with the disease, but other clinical conditions also can provoke it. In pregnant women, hyperemesis gravidarum can lead to the depletion of body thiamine due to poor oral intake and a high metabolic demand. We report a case of Wernicke’s encephalopathy following hyperemesis gravidarum in a 36-year-old female at 20 weeks of pregnancy, who visited our hospital because of shock with vaginal bleeding. This case suggests that although the initial presentation may include atypical symptoms (e.g., shock or bleeding, Wernicke’s encephalopathy should be considered, and thiamine replacement should be performed in pregnant women with neurologic symptoms and poor oral intake.

  8. Influenza-associated Encephalitis/Encephalopathy Identified by the Australian Childhood Encephalitis Study 2013-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Britton, Philip N; Dale, Russell C; Blyth, Christopher C; Macartney, Kristine; Crawford, Nigel W; Marshall, Helen; Clark, Julia E; Elliott, Elizabeth J; Webster, Richard I; Cheng, Allen C; Booy, Robert; Jones, Cheryl A

    2017-11-01

    Influenza-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy (IAE) is an important cause of acute encephalitis syndrome in children. IAE includes a series of clinicoradiologic syndromes or acute encephalopathy syndromes that have been infrequently reported outside East Asia. We aimed to describe cases of IAE identified by the Australian Childhood Encephalitis study. Children ≤ 14 years of age with suspected encephalitis were prospectively identified in 5 hospitals in Australia. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, imaging, and outcome at discharge data were reviewed by an expert panel and cases were categorized by using predetermined case definitions. We extracted cases associated with laboratory identification of influenza virus for this analysis; among these cases, specific IAE syndromes were identified where clinical and radiologic features were consistent with descriptions in the published literature. We identified 13 cases of IAE during 3 southern hemisphere influenza seasons at 5 tertiary children's hospitals in Australia; 8 children with specific acute encephalopathy syndromes including: acute necrotizing encephalopathy, acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late diffusion restriction, mild encephalopathy with reversible splenial lesion, and hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia syndrome. Use of influenza-specific antiviral therapy and prior influenza vaccination were infrequent. In contrast, death or significant neurologic morbidity occurred in 7 of the 13 children (54%). The conditions comprising IAE are heterogeneous with varied clinical features, magnetic resonance imaging changes, and outcomes. Overall, outcome of IAE is poor emphasizing the need for optimized prevention, early recognition, and empiric management.

  9. Hepatic encephalopathy: clinical and experimental studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    C.C.D. van der Rijt (Carin)

    1991-01-01

    textabstractThe pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy is still unsolved. Therapy, therefore, is often insufficient. For the development of effective, new therapies insight into the disease-inducing substrates and the mechanisms of its toxic actions in the central nervous system ·are required. For

  10. Metronidazole-Induced Encephalopathy in Alcoholic Liver Disease: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonthalia, Nikhil; Pawar, Sunil V; Mohite, Ashok R; Jain, Samit S; Surude, Ravindra G; Rathi, Pravin M; Contractor, Qais

    2016-10-01

    Acute encephalopathy in a patient with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a commonly encountered emergency situation occurring most frequently due to liver failure precipitated by varying etiologies. Acute reversible cerebellar ataxia with confusion secondary to prolonged metronidazole use has been reported rarely as a cause of encephalopathy in patients with ALD. We describe a decompensated ALD patient with recurrent pyogenic cholangitis associated with hepatolithiasis who presented to the emergency department with sudden-onset cerebellar ataxia with dysarthria and mental confusion after prolonged use of metronidazole. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was suggestive of bilateral dentate nuclei hyper intensities on T2 and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sections seen classically in metronidazole-induced encephalopathy (MIE). Decompensated liver cirrhosis resulted in decreased hepatic clearance and increased cerebrospinal fluid concentration of metronidazole leading to toxicity at a relatively low total cumulative dose of 22 g. Both the clinical symptoms and MRI brain changes were reversed at 7 days and 6 weeks, respectively, after discontinuation of metronidazole. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: A patient with ALD presenting with encephalopathy creates a diagnostic dilemma for the emergency physician regarding whether to continue metronidazole and treat for hepatic encephalopathy or to suspect for MIE and withhold the drug. Failure to timely discontinue metronidazole may worsen the associated hepatic encephalopathy in these patients. Liver cirrhosis patients have higher mean concentration of metronidazole and its metabolite in the blood, making it necessary to keep the cumulative dose of metronidazole to < 20 g in them. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Transient cardiac arrest in patient with left ventricular noncompaction (spongiform cardiomyopathy).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamazaki, Shinya; Ito, Hiroshi; Kawaai, Hiroyoshi

    2011-01-01

    Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC), also known as spongiform cardiomyopathy, is a severe disease that has not previously been discussed with respect to general anesthesia. We treated a child with LVNC who experienced cardiac arrest. Dental treatment under general anesthesia was scheduled because the patient had a risk of endocarditis due to dental caries along with a history of being uncooperative for dental care. During sevoflurane induction, severe hypotension and laryngospasm resulted in cardiac arrest. Basic life support (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) was initiated to resuscitate the child, and his cardiorespiratory condition improved. Thereafter, an opioid-based anesthetic was performed, and recovery was smooth. In LVNC, opioid-based anesthesia is suggested to avoid the significant cardiac suppression seen with a volatile anesthetic, once intravenous access is established. Additionally, all operating room staff should master Advanced Cardiac Life Support/Pediatric Advanced Life Support (including intraosseous access), and more than 1 anesthesiologist should be present to induce general anesthesia, if possible, for this high-risk patient.

  12. Systemic hypothermia after neonatal encephalopathy: outcomes of neo.nEURO.network RCT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simbruner, Georg; Mittal, Rashmi A; Rohlmann, Friederike

    2010-01-01

    Mild hypothermia after perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) reduces neurologic sequelae without significant adverse effects, but studies are needed to determine the most-efficacious methods.......Mild hypothermia after perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) reduces neurologic sequelae without significant adverse effects, but studies are needed to determine the most-efficacious methods....

  13. Traceability, Liability, and Incentives for Food Safety and Quality

    OpenAIRE

    Sébastien Pouliot; Daniel A. Sumner

    2008-01-01

    Recent food scares such as the discoveries of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and E. coli-contaminated spinach have heightened interest in food traceability. Here, we show how exogenous increases in food traceability create incentives for farms and marketing firms to supply safer food by increasing liability costs. We model a stylized marketing chain composed of farms, marketers, and consumers. Unsafe food for consumers can be caused by either marketers or farms. We show that food safety dec...

  14. Bilateral Occipital Lobe Hemorrhages Presenting as Denial of Blindness in Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome- A Rare Combination of Anton Syndrome and Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godasi, Raja; Rupareliya, Chintan; Bollu, Pradeep C

    2017-10-04

    Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) or reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy (RPL) is an acute neurological syndrome characterized by the development of radiological abnormalities on brain imaging along with clinical manifestations, such as a headache, seizures, encephalopathy, etc. We report the case of a middle-aged male who presented to the emergency department after he woke up with complete blindness and was found to have hemorrhagic PRES. Intracranial hemorrhages were seen in around 15% of patients who presented with this condition. In this article, we review the different types of hemorrhages seen in the setting of PRES and their associations.

  15. Mathematical model of diabetic encephalopathy in diagnosis of complicated forms of diabetes mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.O. Popruga

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background. The purpose of this research is to optimize the methods for diagnosis of diabetic encephalopathy based on the study of indicators of cerebrovascular hemodynamics, functional state of the brain, metabolic disorders and morphological characteristics of the brain tissue. Materials and methods. A comprehensive survey was carried out in 537 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM, including 342 (63.7 % persons with type 1 DM, and 195 (36.3 % — with type 2 DM. Results. The article presents data on the integrated study of clinical, metabolic and functional indicators as risk factors for diabetic encephalopathy. Their diagnostic significance is argued. On the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the obtained data, which expanded the view on the pathogenesis of diabetic encephalopathy, the priority of metabolic disorders was confirmed. Diagnostic criteria of diabetic encephalopathy were established and its mathematical model was developed. Conclusions. The availa­bility of informative indicators identified will allow the doctor to diagnose diabetic encephalopathy at the early stages or to predict its development and to detect at the preclinical stage.

  16. Reversible encephalopathy syndrome: report of 12 cases with follow-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greco Crasto, S.; Sardo, P.; Davini, O.; Rizzo, L.; De Lucchi, R.

    2004-01-01

    We report the clinical and neuroradiological features of reversible encephalopathy syndrome and follow-up results in 12 patients. This syndrome seems to be the result of an acute encephalopathy showing with brain edema mainly in the white matter (vasogenic edema). Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images are useful to distinguish this entity from acute ischemia. Early recognition and treatment often lead to complete neurological recovery. If unrecognized, the patient's condition can progress to central nervous system failure. (orig.)

  17. The Thompson Encephalopathy Score and Short-Term Outcomes in Asphyxiated Newborns Treated With Therapeutic Hypothermia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorsen, Patricia; Jansen-van der Weide, Martine C; Groenendaal, Floris; Onland, Wes; van Straaten, Henrika L M; Zonnenberg, Inge; Vermeulen, Jeroen R; Dijk, Peter H; Dudink, Jeroen; Rijken, Monique; van Heijst, Arno; Dijkman, Koen P; Cools, Filip; Zecic, Alexandra; van Kaam, Anton H; de Haan, Timo R

    2016-07-01

    The Thompson encephalopathy score is a clinical score to assess newborns suffering from perinatal asphyxia. Previous studies revealed a high sensitivity and specificity of the Thompson encephalopathy score for adverse outcomes (death or severe disability). Because the Thompson encephalopathy score was developed before the use of therapeutic hypothermia, its value was reassessed. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of the Thompson encephalopathy score with adverse short-term outcomes, defined as death before discharge, development of severe epilepsy, or the presence of multiple organ failure in asphyxiated newborns undergoing therapeutic hypothermia. The study period ranged from November 2010 to October 2014. A total of 12 tertiary neonatal intensive care units participated. Demographic and clinical data were collected from the "PharmaCool" multicenter study, an observational cohort study analyzing pharmacokinetics of medication during therapeutic hypothermia. With multiple logistic regression analyses the association of the Thompson encephalopathy scores with outcomes was studied. Data of 142 newborns were analyzed (male: 86; female: 56). Median Thompson score was 9 (interquartile range: 8 to 12). Median gestational age was 40 weeks (interquartile range 38 to 41), mean birth weight was 3362 grams (standard deviation: 605). All newborns manifested perinatal asphyxia and underwent therapeutic hypothermia. Death before discharge occurred in 23.9% and severe epilepsy in 21.1% of the cases. In total, 59.2% of the patients had multiple organ failure. The Thompson encephalopathy score was not associated with multiple organ failure, but a Thompson encephalopathy score ≥12 was associated with death before discharge (odds ratio: 3.9; confidence interval: 1.3 to 11.2) and with development of severe epilepsy (odds ratio: 8.4; confidence interval: 2.5 to 27.8). The Thompson encephalopathy score is a useful clinical tool, even in cooled asphyxiated

  18. Brain MRI findings in acute hepatic encephalopathy in liver transplant recipients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Ruo-Mi; Li, Qing-Ling; Zhong, Li-Ru; Guo, Yu; Jiao, Ju; Chen, Shao-Qiong; Wang, Jin; Zhang, Yong

    2018-06-01

    Acute hepatic encephalopathy has significant morbidity and mortality in liver transplant recipients unless it is promptly treated. We evaluated the brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings associated with acute hepatic encephalopathy in transplant recipients. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and imaging data and outcomes of twenty-five liver transplant patients (16 male; mean age, 49.3 years) with clinically diagnosed acute hepatic encephalopathy and forty liver transplant patients (20 males; mean age, 45.5 years) without neurological symptoms suggestive of hepatic encephalopathy at our institution. Bilateral symmetric hyperintensities of the insular cortex and cingulate gyrus were observed in twenty-one patients (84.00%), bilateral symmetric extensive increased cortical signal intensity (involving two or more regions) was observed in 72.00% of the patients, leptomeningeal enhancement in 73.68%, and visualization of prominent venules in 52.00%. The most common symptom at diagnosis was rigidity (n = 14), and the plasma ammonia levels ranged from 68.63 to 192.16 μmol/L. After active treatment, 17 patients gradually recovered, four patients suffered from mild or moderate neurologic deficits, and four patients with widespread brain edema died. The specific brain MR imaging features were bilateral symmetric increased cortical signal intensity, especially in the insular cortex and cingulate gyrus, leptomeningeal enhancement, visualization of the prominent venules, and widespread brain edema. These features may indicate poor prognosis and should alert radiologists to the possibility of acute hepatic encephalopathy in liver transplant recipients and encourage clinicians to prepare appropriate treatment in advance.

  19. The human prion diseases. A review with special emphasis on new variant CJD and comments on surveillance.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Keohane, C

    2012-02-03

    The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases represent a new group of diseases with unique clinical and neuropathological features, the transmission of which is both genetic and infectious. The responsible agent is unconventional and appears to be largely composed of a glycoprotein, the prion protein PrP. This is normally present on different cells. In prion diseases, it becomes converted to the pathogenic form PrPres which is resistant to proteinase and accumulates within the brain and this process is accompanied by the development of spongiform change, gliosis and neuronal loss. The human prion diseases include Kuru a progressive cerebellar degeneration with late dementia affecting Fore tribes in New-Guinea, now almost extinct, regarded as being related to cannibalism. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is the more frequent human prion disease. Its incidence is approximately one case per million per year. Four variants are now recognized: sporadic, familial, iatrogenic and the new variant. The latter represents a distinct clinico-pathological entity. It is now widely accepted that it is due to the same agent responsible for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in cattle. Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease is a very rare inherited disorder due to a number of different mutations in the PRP gene, characterized by abundant deposits of plaque PrPres in the cerebral grey matter. Fatal familial insomnia is another inherited disorder due to a mutation at codon 178 of the PRP gene associated with methionine on codon 129 of the mutant allele. The main neuropathological change is neuronal loss in the thalamus with little or no spongiosis and usually no PrPres deposition. Following the emergence of new variant CJD in 1996, surveillance of all forms of prion diseases has been now been actively introduced in many European nations in order to determine the true incidence and geographic distribution of these rare disorders in humans.

  20. De novo mutations in synaptic transmission genes including DNM1 cause epileptic encephalopathies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2014-01-01

    in five individuals and de novo mutations in GABBR2, FASN, and RYR3 in two individuals each. Unlike previous studies, this cohort is sufficiently large to show a significant excess of de novo mutations in epileptic encephalopathy probands compared to the general population using a likelihood analysis (p...... = 8.2 × 10(-4)), supporting a prominent role for de novo mutations in epileptic encephalopathies. We bring statistical evidence that mutations in DNM1 cause epileptic encephalopathy, find suggestive evidence for a role of three additional genes, and show that at least 12% of analyzed individuals have...... analyzed exome-sequencing data of 356 trios with the "classical" epileptic encephalopathies, infantile spasms and Lennox Gastaut syndrome, including 264 trios previously analyzed by the Epi4K/EPGP consortium. In this expanded cohort, we find 429 de novo mutations, including de novo mutations in DNM1...

  1. L-ornithine-L-aspartate infusion efficacy in hepatic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, I.

    2008-01-01

    To determine the efficacy of L-ornithine-L-aspartate in treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. Cirrhotic patients with hyperammonemia and overt hepatic encephalopathy were enrolled. Eighty patients were randomized to two treatment groups, L-ornithine-L-aspartate (20g/d) or placebo, both dissolved in 250mL of 5% dextrose water and infused intravenously for four hours a day for five consecutive days with 0.5 g/kg dietary protein intake at the end of daily treatment period. Outcome variables were postprandial blood ammonia and mental state grade. Adverse reactions and mortality were also determined. Both treatment groups were comparable regarding age, gender, etiology of cirrhosis, Child-Pugh class, mental state grade and blood ammonia at baseline. Although, improvement occurred in both groups, there was a greater improvement in L-ornithine-L-aspartate group with regard to both variables. Four patients in the placebo group and 2 in L-ornithine-L-aspartate group died. L-ornithine-L-aspartate infusions were found to be effective in cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy. (author)

  2. Adult onset urea cycle disorder in a patient with presumed hepatic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atiq, Muslim; Holt, Andrew F; Safdar, Kamran; Weber, Frederick; Ravinuthala, Ravi; Jonas, Mark E; Neff, Guy W

    2008-02-01

    Deficiency of any of the 5 enzymes in the urea cycle results in the accumulation of ammonia, leading to encephalopathy; which if untreated, can be lethal and produce devastating neurologic sequelae in long-term survivors. We hereby present an interesting case that presented with hyperammonemia and encephalopathy; later found to have an urea cycle defect.

  3. Diverse Neurological Manifestations of Lead Encephalopathy ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Three patients with lead encephalopathy due to industrial poisoning are presented. They all showed a wide spectrum of neurological manifestations, which mimic other neurological presentations. It is emphasised that lead poisoning still occurs in industry, despite efforts at prevention. S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 1721 (1974) ...

  4. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: Some novel ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Two cases occurred following cerebral anoxia due to accidental strangulation and near-drowning, respectively. The third patient, a child known to have E-β thalassaemia, presented with transient encephalopathy following blood transfusion but involving the anterior brain rather than the posterior part classically described in ...

  5. Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhalla Ashish

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background : Acute onset fever with altered mentation is a common problem encountered by the physician practicing in tropical countries. Central nervous system (CNS infections are the most common cause resulting in fever with altered mentation in children. Aim : In this study, we have tried to analyze the cause of encephalopathy following short febrile illness in adults presenting to a tertiary care center in Northwestern part of India. Setting and Design : A prospective observational study carried out in a tertiary care center in the Northwestern India over a period of 1 year. Material and Methods : A total of 127 patients with fever of less than 2 weeks duration along with alteration in mentation were studied prospectively over a period of 12 months. The demographic variables were recorded in detail. In addition to routine investigations, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, noncontrast- and contrast-enhanced computed tomography, along with magnetic resonance imaging were performed in all the subjects. Statistical Analysis : The results were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The values were expressed as mean with standard deviation for contiguous variable as percentage for the others. Results and Conclusion : Out of these, 70% had primary CNS infection as the etiology. A total of 33% patients had meningitis, 29.9% had evidence of meningoencephalitis, and 12.7% were diagnosed as sepsis-associated encephalopathy. These were followed by cerebral malaria, leptospirosis, and brain abscess as the cause of febrile encephalopathy in adults. Among the noninfectious causes, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, cortical venous thrombosis, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome were documented in 2.36% each. In 11% of the patients, the final diagnosis could not be made in spite of the extensive investigations. Our study demonstrates that acute febrile encephalopathy in adults is a heterogeneous syndrome with primary CNS infections being the commonest

  6. Septic encephalopathy and septic encephalitis‬‬.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tauber, Simone C; Eiffert, Helmut; Brück, Wolfgang; Nau, Roland

    2017-02-01

    During the last two decades, septic encephalopathy (SE) was recognized as a clinically relevant problem with a high prevalence in patients at admission and during their hospital stay. SE is a condition associated with increased mortality and morbidity such as long-term cognitive impairment. Areas covered: This review illustrates the pathophysiology of sepsis-associated encephalopathy and encephalitis involving blood-brain-barrier dysfunction and neuroinflammation caused by endothelial and microglial activation by endogenous or pathogen-derived compounds, hypoxia by impaired microvascular regulation and septic shock as well as imbalance of neurotransmitters. The continuum between septic-embolic and septic-metastatic encephalitis and SE is underlined by histological findings. The options of technical examinations and biomarkers to diagnose SE are discussed together with established therapeutic options as well as current experimental approaches. Expert commentary: An outlook for clinicians is provided including promising diagnostic approaches by means of new imaging techniques. Clinical trials with drugs already established for other indications such as statins, erythropoietin and minocycline are warranted in the future.

  7. A case of hepatic encephalopathy induced by trotrast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirato, Hideo; Kudo, Norishige; Takita, Kyoji

    1980-01-01

    A case of hepatic encephalopathy induced by thorotrast injected as a contrast 40 years before was reported. The patient was a 64-year-old man with severe liver dysfunction, and had psychic and neurological symptoms, and hyperammonemia. There was a relationship between ammonium concentration in blood and psychic and neurological symptoms. Electroencephalogram showed three phases waves peculiar to hepatic coma intermittently. Throtrast in the liver was detected by radiological methods and in vivo measurement of the radioactivity. From the above-mentioned result, this disease was diagnosed as hepatic encephalopathy induced by long-term sedimentation of thorotrast without complication of malignant tumors. Because of the concurrent presence of cerebral infarction, the diagnosis was difficult to make. (Tsunoda, M.)

  8. More than meets the eye: infant presenting with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sen, Kuntal; Agarwal, Rajkumar

    2018-04-05

    We report a newborn infant who presented with poor Apgar scores and umbilical artery acidosis leading to the diagnosis of hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. During the course of the infant's hospitalisation, subsequent workup revealed an underlying genetic cause that masqueraded as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  9. The clinical outcome and neuroimaging of acute encephalopathy after status epilepticus in Dravet syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Xiaojuan; Ye, Jintang; Zeng, Qi; Zhang, Jing; Yang, Xiaoling; Liu, Aijie; Yang, Zhixian; Liu, Xiaoyan; Wu, Xiru; Zhang, Yuehua

    2018-06-01

    To analyze the clinical outcome and neuroimaging over a long duration follow-up in the currently largest series of acute encephalopathy after status epilepticus in patients with Dravet syndrome. Clinical and neuroimaging data of patients with Dravet syndrome with a history of acute encephalopathy (coma >24h) after status epilepticus from February 2005 to December 2016 at Peking University First Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Thirty-five patients (15 males, 20 females) with a history of acute encephalopathy were enrolled from a total of 624 patients with Dravet syndrome (5.6%). The median onset age of acute encephalopathy was 3 years 1 month. The duration of status epilepticus varied between 40 minutes to 12 hours. Thirty-four patients had a high fever when status epilepticus occurred, and only one had a normal temperature. Coma lasted from 2 to 20 days. Twelve patients died and 23 survived with massive neurological regression. The median follow-up time was 2 years 1 month. Neuroimaging of 20 out of 23 survivors during the recovery phase showed diverse degrees of cortical atrophy with or without subcortical lesions. Acute encephalopathy after status epilepticus is more prone to occur in patients with Dravet syndrome who had a high fever. The mortality rate is high in severe cases. Survivors are left with severe neurological sequelae but often with either no seizure or low seizure frequency. Acute encephalopathy is more prone to occur in patients with Dravet syndrome with a high fever. The mortality rate is high for acute encephalopathy after status epilepticus in patients with Dravet syndrome. Survivors have neurological sequelae. © 2018 The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Mac Keith Press.

  10. BLOOD BIOMARKERS FOR EVALUATION OF PERINATAL ENCEPHALOPATHY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ernest Marshall Graham

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Recent research in identification of brain injury after trauma shows many possible blood biomarkers that may help identify the fetus and neonate with encephalopathy. Traumatic brain injury shares many common features with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Trauma has a hypoxic component, and one of the 1st physiologic consequences of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury is apnea. Trauma and hypoxia-ischemia initiate an excitotoxic cascade and free radical injury followed by the inflammatory cascade, producing injury in neurons, glial cells and white matter. Increased excitatory amino acids, lipid peroxidation products and alteration in microRNAs and inflammatory markers are common to both traumatic brain injury and perinatal encephalopathy. The blood-brain barrier is disrupted in both leading to egress of substances normally only found in the central nervous system. Brain exosomes may represent ideal biomarker containers, as RNA and protein transported within the vesicles are protected from enzymatic degradation. Evaluation of fetal or neonatal brain derived exosomes that cross the blood-brain barrier and circulate peripherally has been referred to as the liquid brain biopsy. A multiplex of serum biomarkers could improve upon the current imprecise methods of identifying fetal and neonatal brain injury such as fetal heart rate abnormalities, meconium, cord gases at delivery, and Apgar scores. Quantitative biomarker measurements of perinatal brain injury and recovery could lead to operative delivery only in the presence of significant fetal risk, triage to appropriate therapy after birth and measure the effectiveness of treatment.

  11. Synaptic damage underlies EEG abnormalities in postanoxic encephalopathy: A computational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruijter, B J; Hofmeijer, J; Meijer, H G E; van Putten, M J A M

    2017-09-01

    In postanoxic coma, EEG patterns indicate the severity of encephalopathy and typically evolve in time. We aim to improve the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these EEG abnormalities. We used a mean field model comprising excitatory and inhibitory neurons, local synaptic connections, and input from thalamic afferents. Anoxic damage is modeled as aggravated short-term synaptic depression, with gradual recovery over many hours. Additionally, excitatory neurotransmission is potentiated, scaling with the severity of anoxic encephalopathy. Simulations were compared with continuous EEG recordings of 155 comatose patients after cardiac arrest. The simulations agree well with six common categories of EEG rhythms in postanoxic encephalopathy, including typical transitions in time. Plausible results were only obtained if excitatory synapses were more severely affected by short-term synaptic depression than inhibitory synapses. In postanoxic encephalopathy, the evolution of EEG patterns presumably results from gradual improvement of complete synaptic failure, where excitatory synapses are more severely affected than inhibitory synapses. The range of EEG patterns depends on the excitation-inhibition imbalance, probably resulting from long-term potentiation of excitatory neurotransmission. Our study is the first to relate microscopic synaptic dynamics in anoxic brain injury to both typical EEG observations and their evolution in time. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Recurrent occurrences of CDKL5 mutations in patients with epileptic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Toshiyuki; Shimojima, Keiko; Kimura, Nobusuke; Mogami, Yukiko; Usui, Daisuke; Takayama, Rumiko; Ikeda, Hiroko; Imai, Katsumi

    2015-01-01

    The cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 gene (CDKL5) is recognized as one of the genes responsible for epileptic encephalopathy. We identified CDKL5 mutations in five Japanese patients (one male and four female) with epileptic encephalopathy. Although all mutations were of de novo origin, they were located in the same positions as previously reported pathogenic mutations. These recurrent occurrences of de novo mutations in the same loci may indicate hot spots of nucleotide alteration.

  13. The role of magnetic resonance imaging in the prediction of the neurodevelopmental outcome of acute bilirubin encephalopathy in newborns

    OpenAIRE

    TATLI, Mustafa Mansur

    2009-01-01

    Aim: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in the diagnosis of acute bilirubin encephalopathy, but the relationship between MRI findings and neurodevelopmental outcome in newborns with acute bilirubin encephalopathy remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between acute bilirubin encephalopathy, MRI findings, and neurodevelopmental outcome. Materials and Methods: The study included 13 infants with acute bilirubin encephalopathy. MRI was performed ...

  14. THE EFFECT OF LOST EXPORTS ON U.S. BEEF PRICES

    OpenAIRE

    Mattson, Jeremy W.; Jin, Hyun Joung; Koo, Won W.

    2005-01-01

    Since the discovery of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States in December 2003, U.S. beef exports have declined approximately 85 percent. A number of countries, including Japan and Korea (the top export markets for U.S. beef), have banned imports of beef from the United States, while U.S. exports to other important markets, such as Mexico and Canada, have been well below previous levels. Domestic demand in the United States was not significantly affected by the BSE discov...

  15. Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease: case report with emphasis on the electroencephalographic features

    OpenAIRE

    Patrícia, Coral; Germiniani, Francisco M. B.; Silvado, Carlos E.

    2005-01-01

    Creuzfeldt-Jakob’s Disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that is included among the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The clinical features are those of a rapid progressive dementia with mioclonic jerks, which progresses to death in less than one year. We report the case of a 79 years old woman, with initial complaints of vertigo, visual and gait compromise, with an initial brain MRI, EEG and CSF that had no specific features of CJD. After 12 days she was again admitted to the...

  16. How to diagnose and manage hepatic encephalopathy: a consensus statement on roles and responsibilities beyond the liver specialist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shawcross, Debbie L; Dunk, Arthur A; Jalan, Rajiv; Kircheis, Gerald; de Knegt, Robert J; Laleman, Wim; Ramage, John K; Wedemeyer, Heiner; Morgan, Ian E J

    2016-02-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy is defined as brain dysfunction caused by liver insufficiency and/or portosystemic shunting. Symptoms include nonspecific cognitive impairment, personality changes and changes in consciousness. Overt (symptomatic) hepatic encephalopathy is a common complication of cirrhosis that is associated with a poor prognosis. Patients with hepatic encephalopathy may present to healthcare providers who do not have primary responsibility for management of patients with cirrhosis. Therefore, we developed a series of 'consensus points' to provide some guidance on management. Using a modified 'Delphi' process, consensus statements were developed that summarize our recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Points on which full consensus could not be reached are also discussed. Our recommendations emphasize the role of all healthcare providers in the identification of cognitive impairment in patients with cirrhosis and provide guidance on steps that might be considered to make a diagnosis of overt hepatic encephalopathy. In addition, treatment recommendations are summarized. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy can have a significant impact on patients; however, in most circumstances identification and management of minimal hepatic encephalopathy remains the responsibility of specialists in liver diseases. Our opinion statements aim to define the roles and responsibilities of all healthcare providers who at times care for patients with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy. We suggest that these recommendations be considered further by colleagues in other disciplines and hope that future guidelines consider the management of patients with cirrhosis and with a 'suspicion' of cognitive impairment through to a formal diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy.

  17. Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gluud, Lise Lotte; Dam, Gitte; Les, Iñigo; Marchesini, Giulio; Borre, Mette; Aagaard, Niels Kristian; Vilstrup, Hendrik

    2017-05-18

    Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain dysfunction with neurological and psychiatric changes associated with liver insufficiency or portal-systemic shunting. The severity ranges from minor symptoms to coma. A Cochrane systematic review including 11 randomised clinical trials on branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) versus control interventions has evaluated if BCAA may benefit people with hepatic encephalopathy. To evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of BCAA versus any control intervention for people with hepatic encephalopathy. We identified trials through manual and electronic searches in The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded and Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science, and LILACS (May 2017). We included randomised clinical trials, irrespective of the bias control, language, or publication status. The authors independently extracted data based on published reports and collected data from the primary investigators. We changed our primary outcomes in this update of the review to include mortality (all cause), hepatic encephalopathy (number of people without improved manifestations of hepatic encephalopathy), and adverse events. The analyses included random-effects and fixed-effect meta-analyses. We performed subgroup, sensitivity, regression, and trial sequential analyses to evaluate sources of heterogeneity (including intervention, and participant and trial characteristics), bias (using The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group method), small-study effects, and the robustness of the results after adjusting for sparse data and multiplicity. We graded the quality of the evidence using the GRADE approach. We found 16 randomised clinical trials including 827 participants with hepatic encephalopathy classed as overt (12 trials) or minimal (four trials). Eight trials assessed oral BCAA supplements and seven trials assessed intravenous

  18. Diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy with magentic resonance imaging; With special reference to portal system encephalopathy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Inoue, Etsuo; Narumi, Yoshifumi; Kadota, Tsuyoshi; Fujita, Makoto; Kuriyama, Keiko; Kuroda, Chikazumi (Osaka Prefectural Center for Adult Diseases (Japan))

    1993-01-01

    Cranial magnetic resonance (MR) images were examined in 16 patients with liver cirrhosis. The findings of MR imaging were correlated with portal-systemic collateral vessel shown on angiograms. In 9 of 16 patients, basal ganglia was hyperintense compared with white matter on T1-weighted images. These 9 patients had portal-systemic collateral vessel 10 mm or more in diameter that was suppied by superior mesenteric vein (SMV), and 4 of the 9 patients had portal-systemic encephalopathy on angiograms. In the remaining 7 patients, no hyperintense lesions were seen in basal ganglia relative to white matter on T1-weighted images; angiography revealed that 2 patients had portal-systemic collateral vessel that was supplied by SMV but was 5 mm or less in diameter, 3 had bood supplies from splenic vein, and 2 had no collateral vessel. There was no change in signal intensity on T2-weighted images. In conclusion, a large portal-systemic collateral vessel supplied by SMV may be shown as a high intensity lesion in basal ganglia, thus making it possible to diagnose hepatic encephalopathy even if there was no psychoneurologic symptoms or signs. (N.K.).

  19. Some aspects of morphogenesis of diabetic encephalopathy

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    V. A. Tumanskiy

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available On the basis of the literary data and conducted large-scale research it was ascertained that diabetes mellitus raises the risk of cerebral stroke in 2-6 times, the risk of transitional ischemic attacks in 3 times in comparison with the same risk in the general population [3]. Diabetic encephalopathy in its pure form can be found in 80.7% of patients with diabetes mellitus of the 1st type, its development is caused mainly by ineffective metabolic control of autoregulation of cerebral blood flow [4]. Mixed encephalopathy is prevailed among patients with diabetes mellitus of the 2nd type; lacunar heart attack is more often developed among this category of patients [5], multiple focus of ischemic affection of white substance – leukoaraiosis regarded as the areas of increased level of water, gliosis, and demyelination of white substance is often registered [6]. Pathogeny of diabetic encephalopathy hasn’t been studied properly. It is known that it is a multifactor effect in the development of which the main role is led by the vascular dysfunction with the reduction of blood supply and ischemia of brain tissue, as well as direct toxic influence of hyperglycemia and disorder of trophism of nerve tissue [7]. Microangiopathy and macroangiopathy acquire the special meaning in encephalopathy development among patients with diabetes mellitus. The evidence of microangiopathy and macroangiopathy is identified by the disease course and prognosis. On the ultrastructural level the changes of vessel microcircular movement are registered on the 1st month of the experimental alloxan diabetes. During electronic microscopy the thickening of basal membrane of capillaries as well as their dissection is observed. In micro vessels such phenomena as precipitation of lipoproteids, raising of the synthesis of collagen (the second type, dystrophic changes of endotheliocytes, and lowering of micropinocytosis can be found [11,12,13,14]. As the severity of diabetes mellitus

  20. Syndrome of Electrical Status Epilepticus During Sleep: Epileptic Encephalopathy Related to Brain Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiao-Qiao; Zhang, Wei-Na; Hu, Lin-Yan; Liu, Meng-Jia; Zou, Li-Ping

    2016-03-01

    Epileptic encephalopathy with electrical status epilepticus during sleep is an age-related and self-limited disorder. The present study analyzed the etiology, demographics, and pathogenesis of patients with electrical status epilepticus during sleep to provide information on the diagnosis and therapy of this syndrome. The etiologies of epileptic encephalopathy with electrical status epilepticus during sleep in patients admitted in Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from 2009 to 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified into the genetic, structural-metabolic, and unknown groups according to the etiology. Demographics and clinical characteristics of all the patients were then analyzed and compared among groups. The etiologies of epileptic encephalopathy with electrical status epilepticus during sleep in 75 patients mainly included benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, Landau-Kleffner syndrome, polymicrogyria, and migration disorders. Age at onset of epilepsy did not show a specific pattern, but age at onset of epileptic encephalopathy with electrical status epilepticus during sleep was concentrated at age 6-9 years. The mean age at onset of epilepsy in the genetic group was significantly older than that in the structural-metabolic group (P status epilepticus during sleep did not significantly differ between the two groups. Electrical status epilepticus during sleep is an epileptic encephalopathy related to brain development and presents an age-dependent occurrence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Analysis of Multiple B-Value Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Pediatric Acute Encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tachibana, Yasuhiko; Aida, Noriko; Niwa, Tetsu; Nozawa, Kumiko; Kusagiri, Kouki; Mori, Kana; Endo, Kazuo; Obata, Takayuki; Inoue, Tomio

    2013-01-01

    Acute encephalopathy is a disease group more commonly seen in children. It is often severe and has neurological sequelae. Imaging is important for early diagnosis and prompt treatment to ameliorate an unfavorable outcome, but insufficient sensitivity/specificity is a problem. To overcome this, a new value (fraction of high b-pair (FH)) that could be processed from clinically acceptable MR diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with three different b-values was designed on the basis of a two-compartment model of water diffusion signal attenuation. The purpose of this study is to compare FH with the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) regarding the detectability of pediatric acute encephalopathy. We retrospectively compared the clinical DWI of 15 children (1–10 years old, mean 2.34, 8 boys, 7 girls) of acute encephalopathy with another 16 children (1–11 years old, mean 4.89, 9 boys, 7 girls) as control. A comparison was first made visually by mapping FH on the brain images, and then a second comparison was made on the basis of 10 regions of interest (ROIs) set on cortical and subcortical areas of each child. FH map visually revealed diffusely elevated FH in cortical and subcortical areas of the patients with acute encephalopathy; the changes seemed more diffuse in FH compared to DWI. The comparison based on ROI revealed elevated mean FH in the cortical and subcortical areas of the acute encephalopathy patients compared to control with significant difference (Pencephalopathy may be superior in FH compared to ADC. PMID:23755112

  2. A case of spongiform polioencephalomyelopathy in a cat with a history of behavioural problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomàs Camps

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available A 7-month-old, entire female, domestic shorthair cat was referred to our behavioural service owing to soiling in the house and a play-related problem. The owners’ complaints were that the cat had never used the litter tray, and it did not know how to play. After reviewing the behavioural history, a problem of substrate preferences acquisition was suspected with regard to the elimination problem. During the consultation, the physical examination was unremarkable, but the neurological examination revealed a moderate and hypermetric ataxic gait, and a bilateral lack of menace response. Some degree of visual impairment was suspected. The problem was located in the central nervous system (CNS; specifically, an intracranial and multifocal problem was diagnosed. After a complete work-up (complete ophthalmological examination, complete blood count and a complete biochemistry panel, feline immunodeficiency virus/feline leukaemia virus test, thorax radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, brain magnetic resonance imaging [0.2 T], cerebrospinal fluid analysis and a urinary metabolic screen test, a degenerative CNS problem was suspected. No treatment was prescribed for the neurological problem. Regarding the problem of soiling in the house, reward-based training with a clicker was used, and the cat partially improved in a few weeks. Three months later, the cat was referred to the neurology service in status epilepticus. A symptomatic treatment was prescribed, with a mild response. After 2 years of treatment and a progressive worsening, the cat was euthanased. Necropsy revealed spongiform polioencephalomyelopathy. In order to rule out prion aetiology a PrPsc inmunohistochemistry assay was performed, and the results were negative. Congenital spongiform polioencephalomyelopathy (CSP was diagnosed. We strongly suggest that the cat’s behavioural clinical signs were caused by the CSP, causing learning impairment. To the best of our knowledge, this would be the

  3. Hepatic encephalopathy: experimental studies on the pathogenesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.J. de Knegt (Robert)

    1993-01-01

    textabstractAims of this thesis: 1. To study, in rabbits, the suitability of experimental acute liver failure and acute hyperammonemia simulating acute liver failure for the study of hepatic encephalopathy and ammonia toxicity. 2. To study glutamate neurotransmission in rabbits with acute liver

  4. Clinical and experimental aspects of hepatic encephalopathy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Groeneweg (Michael)

    1998-01-01

    textabstractHepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatnc syndrome associated with severe liver disease. Clinical symptoms range from minimal changes in mental state and neuromuscular defects to unresponsive coma. 1-' The syndrome of HE can be divided into three major groups: HE associated with

  5. [Expression of aquaporin-4 during brain edema in rats with thioacetamide-induced acute encephalopathy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Li-Qing; Zhu, Sheng-Mei; Zhou, Heng-Jun; Pan, Cai-Fei

    2011-09-27

    To investigate the expression of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) during brain edema in rats with thioacetamide-induced acute liver failure and encephalopathy. The rat model of acute hepatic failure and encephalopathy was induced by intraperitoneal injection of thioacetamide (TAA) at a 24-hour interval for 2 consecutive days. Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into the model group (n = 24) and the control group (normal saline, n = 8). And then the model group was further divided into 3 subgroups by the timepoint of decapitation: 24 h (n = 8), 48 h (n = 8) and 60 h (n = 8). Then we observed their clinical symptoms and stages of HE, indices of liver function and ammonia, liver histology and brain water content. The expression of AQP4 protein in brain tissues was measured with Western blot and the expression of AQP4mRNA with RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction). Typical clinical manifestations of hepatic encephalopathy occurred in all TAA-administrated rats. The model rats showed the higher indices of ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), TBIL (total bilirubin) and ammonia than the control rats (P liver failure and encephalopathy plays a significant role during brain edema. AQP4 is one of the molecular mechanisms for the occurrence of brain edema in hepatic encephalopathy.

  6. Ammonia levels and the severity of hepatic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qureshi, M.O.; Khokhar, N.; Shafqat, F.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the correlation between ammonia levels with the severity of HE in patients coming to the tertiary care hospital with liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Study Design: Descriptive, analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, from January 2011 to February 2012. Methodology: A total of 135 patients with liver cirrhosis and HE had serum ammonia levels measured on admission. The diagnosis of HE was based on clinical criteria, and its severity was graded according to the West Haven Criteria for grading of mental status. Ammonia levels were correlated with the severity of HE using Spearman rank correlation. Results: Out of 20 patients with normal ammonia levels, 13 (65%) were in HE I-II, 6 (30%) were in grade-III, while 1 (5%) patient was in grade-IV HE. Out of 45 patients with mild hyperammonemia, 27 (60%) were in grade I-II, 12 (26%) were in grade-III and 6 (13%) were in grade-IV HE. Out of 34 patients with moderate hyperammonemia, 9 (26%) were in grade I-II, 18 (53%) were in grade-III, and 7 (20%) were in grade-IV HE. Out of 36 patients with severe hyperammonemia, 31 (86%) patients were in grade-IV HE (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Ammonia levels correlated with the severity of hepatic encephalopathy. Greater the ammonia level, severe is the grade of hepatic encephalopathy. (author)

  7. Autoimmune encephalopathy associated with thyroid autoantibodies as the cause of reversible cognitive impairment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Dobbin Chow

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available We herewith describe a patient with acute confusion, expressive aphasia and generalized seizures. A through workup excluded most causes of encephalopathy. He was, however, found to have TSH = 18.6 MIU/ml, T3reverse = 0.44nmol/L, T4 = 0.8ng/dl and Anti-Thyroid-Peroxidase AB titer >1000 IU/ml. Based on the above findings the patient was diagnosed with Hashimoto's encephalopathy and his mental status showed dramatic improvement (MMS 30/30 with high dose prednisone. Hashimoto's encephalopathy is rare disorder of presumed autoimmune origin characterized by cognitive decline, seizures, neuro-psychiatric symptoms, high titers of Anti-Thyroid-Peroxidase AB, and a positive response to steroids.

  8. Anatomy of the late radiation encephalopathy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Reuck, J; vander Eecken, H

    1975-01-01

    The clinico-pathological data and the topography of the lesions were determined in 13 cases of late radiation encephalopathy. In one case the arterial vascularisation was studied by the translucidation technique after filling of the blood vessels with a colloidal barium sulphate solution. The radiation lesions consisted of areas of focal necrosis and of diffuse demyelination and necrosis of the deep cerebral structures and the brain stem. Demyelination was predominantly present in cases of late appearance of the neurological symptoms while necrosis was found in cases with a short latency period. The cerebral cortex and the arcuate fibres were always the most preserved structures. The topography of the focal lesions in the cerebral hemispheres and in the brain stem corresponded well to the vascular supply areas of the deep perforating arteries, while the diffuse lesions always had a predominant distribution in the periventricular arterial end- and border-zones. These observations were also confirmed by a post mortem angiographic study. The present report argues once more for a vascular aetiology as cause of the late radiation encephalopathy.

  9. Ketogenic Diet in Epileptic Encephalopathies

    OpenAIRE

    Sharma, Suvasini; Tripathi, Manjari

    2013-01-01

    The ketogenic diet is a medically supervised high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that has been found useful in patients with refractory epilepsy. It has been shown to be effective in treating multiple seizure types and epilepsy syndromes. In this paper, we review the use of the ketogenic diet in epileptic encephalopathies such as Ohtahara syndrome, West syndrome, Dravet syndrome, epilepsy with myoclonic atonic seizures, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

  10. Hepatic encephalopathy: current challenges and future prospects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swaminathan M

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Mirashini Swaminathan,1 Mark Alexander Ellul,2 Timothy JS Cross1 1Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, 2Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK Abstract: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE is a common complication of liver dysfunction, including acute liver failure and liver cirrhosis. HE presents as a spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms ranging from subtle fluctuating cognitive impairment to coma. It is a significant contributor of morbidity in patients with liver disease. HE is observed in acute liver failure, liver bypass procedures, for example, shunt surgery and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and cirrhosis. These are classified as Type A, B and C HE, respectively. HE can also be classified according to whether its presence is overt or covert. The pathogenesis is linked with ammonia and glutamine production, and treatment is based on mechanisms to reduce the formation and/or removal of these compounds. There is no specific diagnostic test for HE, and diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion, excluding other causes and use of clinical tests that may support its diagnosis. Many tests are used in trials and experimentally, but have not yet gained universal acceptance. This review focuses on the definitions, pathogenesis and treatment of HE. Consideration will be given to existing treatment, including avoidance of precipitating factors and novel therapies such as prebiotics, probiotics, antibiotics, laxatives, branched-chain amino acids, shunt embolization and the importance of considering liver transplant in appropriate cases. Keywords: hepatic encephalopathy, pathogenesis, treatment, lactulose, rifaximin, probiotics, covert hepatic encephalopathy

  11. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and interleukin-6 levels in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of children with viral infection-induced encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morichi, Shinichiro; Yamanaka, Gaku; Ishida, Yu; Oana, Shingo; Kashiwagi, Yasuyo; Kawashima, Hisashi

    2014-11-01

    We investigated changes in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and interleukin (IL)-6 levels in pediatric patients with central nervous system (CNS) infections, particularly viral infection-induced encephalopathy. Over a 5-year study period, 24 children hospitalized with encephalopathy were grouped based on their acute encephalopathy type (the excitotoxicity, cytokine storm, and metabolic error types). Children without CNS infections served as controls. In serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, BDNF and IL-6 levels were increased in all encephalopathy groups, and significant increases were noted in the influenza-associated and cytokine storm encephalopathy groups. Children with sequelae showed higher BDNF and IL-6 levels than those without sequelae. In pediatric patients, changes in serum and CSF BDNF and IL-6 levels may serve as a prognostic index of CNS infections, particularly for the diagnosis of encephalopathy and differentiation of encephalopathy types.

  12. Hypertension as the trigger for posterior reversible encephalopathy ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    RESEARCH. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a neuro ..... rise of blood pressure instead of the sustained levels of hypertension in these patients. .... high prevalence and more extensive imaging findings. Am J Kidney ...

  13. Acute necrotising encephalopathy of childhood after exanthema subitum outside Japan or Taiwan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porto, L.; Lanferman, H.; Moeller-Hartmann, W.; Jacobi, G.; Zanella, F.

    1999-01-01

    Acute necrotising encephalopathy of childhood (ANE) is an uncommon disease which predominantly affects infants and young children living in Japan and Taiwan. A multifocal encephalopathy with symmetrical lesions in the thalamus, tegmentum of the brain stem, cerebral periventricular white matter and cerebellar medulla is characteristic. We present the imaging features in a 4-year-old Japanese boy who had been living in Germany for 2 1 / 2 years before presentation. (orig.)

  14. Prodominant hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy with supratentorial involvement: Case report and literature review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Ji Hee; Park, Sung Tae; Lim, Hyun Kyung [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sung Tae; Cha, Ji Hoon [Dept. of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-12-15

    Hypertensive encephalopathy typically presents with bilateral parietooccipital vasogenic edema. Brainstem and cerebellar edema are uncommon in association with typical supratentorial changes. We experienced three cases of atypical hypertensive encephalopathy involving brainstem and cerebellum as well as cerebral white matter, which showed characteristic alternating linear bright and low signals in the pons, the so-called 'stripe sign'. We report these cases here with a brief literature review.

  15. Approach to Clinical Syndrome of Jaundice and Encephalopathy in Tropics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anand, Anil C.; Garg, Hitendra K.

    2015-01-01

    A large number of patients present with jaundice and encephalopathy in tropical country like India and acute liver failure is the usual cause. Clinical presentation like ALF is also a complication of many tropical infections, and these conditions may mimic ALF but may have subtle differences from ALF. Moreover, what hepatologists see as acute liver failure in tropics is different from what is commonly described in Western Textbooks. Paracetamol overdose, which is possibly the commonest cause of ALF in UK and USA, is hardly ever seen in India. Most common etiology here is viral hepatitis (hepatitis E > hepatitis B> hepatitis A). Apart from ALF, one may also come across subacute hepatic failure (SAHF) as well as acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) due to viral hepatitis. Interestingly, a host of other conditions can mimic ALF because clinical presentation in these conditions can be dominated by jaundice and encephalopathy. Malarial hepatopathy is possibly the best-known condition out of these and is not an uncommon manifestation of severe malaria. A similar presentation can also be seen in other common infections in tropics such as dengue fever, typhoid fever, leptospirosis, scrub typhus, amoebic liver abscesses, tuberculosis and other bacterial and fungal infections with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related disease. In many of these conditions, liver failure may not be underlying pathophysiology. Some pregnancy related liver diseases could also present with jaundice and encephalopathy. This review summarizes the commonly seen presentations in tropical country like India, where jaundice and encephalopathy dominate the clinical picture. PMID:26041951

  16. Studying neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy with conventional MRI, MRS, and DWI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Xiaoyi; Wu, Wulin; Chineah, Ashley; Liu, Fan; Liao, Weihua; Hou, Bob L.; Zhang, Ping

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS), and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy. We collected conventional MRI in 24 neonates with neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy. We performed 1 H-MRS and DWI sequences to nine of the 24 patients and seven age-matched healthy control subjects. Multiple-voxel 1 H-MRS data were acquired using PRESS pulse sequence with TE=135 ms and TR=1500 ms. The spectroscopic regions of interest were the bilateral basal ganglia and thalamus with a 1.0 mL spatial resolution. The data from DWI were collected by using a single shot-spin echo-echo planar imaging sequence with TR/TE: 2900/98, and imaging regions were also focused on the bilateral basal ganglia and thalamus. Nineteen of the 24 patients had abnormal T 1 -weighted image hyperintensity in the globus pallidus, but these lesions appeared as normal T 2 -weighted image intensity in the same region. Ten of the 24 patients had T 1 -weighted image high signal intensity in the subthalamic nucleus and appeared as normal intensity in the region for the T 2 -weighted images. The peak area ratios of NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr were significantly decreased (t-test, P 1 H-MRS are important complementary tools in the diagnosis of neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy. The study provides important information for applying these MR modalities to evaluate neonates with bilirubin encephalopathy. (orig.)

  17. MR findings of wernicke encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Hyun Ki; Chang, Kee Hyun; Lee, Goo; Han, Moon Hee; Park, Sung Ho; Na, Duk Yull; Song, Chi Sung

    1991-01-01

    Seven patients (33 to 58 years old) with clinical diagnoses of Wernicke encephalopathy were examined with MR on either a 2.0T (5 cases) or a 0.5T scanner (2 cases) using spin-echo pulse sequences. In 2 patients, follow-up MR studies were performed 1 and 5 weeks after thiamine (vitamine B1) treatment. Five patients (4 chronic alcoholics and 1 with hyperemesis gravidarum) showed atrophy of both mamillary bodies, along with patchy lesions around the third ventricle, medial thalami, tectum of the midbrain, and periaqueductal gray matter. Another patient with hyperemesis of gravidrum demonstrated only slightly atrophic mamillary bodies, and the last patient with severe vomiting after gastrojejunostomy showed only diencephaic/mesencephalic lesions with apparently normal mamillary bodies. A follow-up MR showed a decrease in previously-noted diencephalic/-/mesencephalic lesions but no change in the size of the mamillary bodies. Diencephalic/mesencephalic lesions were well seen as a high-signal intensity on proton-and T2-weighted axial images, while atrophy of the mamillary bodies was seen best on T1-weighted sagittal images. MR imaging is very useful in demonstrating the characteristic lesions of Wernicke encephalopathy and in evaluating the result of treatment on follow-up study

  18. Correlation of Hyponatremia with Hepatic Encephalopathy and Severity of Liver Disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qureshi, M. O.; Khokhar, N.; Saleem, A.; Niazi, T. K.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To assess the frequency of low serum sodium levels and to correlate it with the severity of liver disease and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in patients coming to the tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, from January 2011 to January 2012. Methodology: A total of 202 patients with hepatic encephalopathy and chronic liver disease had serum sodium measured. The HE was graded according to the West Haven classification (4 grades). Relationship of hyponatremia was correlated with severity grade of encephalopathy using Spearman rank correlation test. Results: Out of 202 patients, 62 (30.7%) patients had serum sodium less than 130 meq/l. Out of 202, HE was present in 69 (34.15%) patients and out of these, 38 had grade III-IV HE and 31 had grade I - II HE. Out of 69 patients with HE 57 had sodium less than 135 (p 135 mmol/L. (author)

  19. Wernicke Encephalopathy in Adolescents After Bariatric Surgery: Case Report and Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong-Javors, Amy; Pratt, Janey; Kharasch, Sigmund

    2016-12-01

    Roughly 1% of all weight loss surgery is performed in adolescents. There is strong evidence demonstrating significant postsurgical weight loss, improvement in quality of life, and reduction in comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes. Reports of postoperative complications in adolescents are few because of the small sample size in most series. Despite vitamin supplementation, nutritional deficiencies requiring hospitalization occur occasionally after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Wernicke encephalopathy, a triad of ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and altered mental status, is a serious consequence of thiamine (vitamin B 1 ) deficiency. Few cases of Wernicke encephalopathy after weight loss surgery have been reported in the literature and even fewer in the pediatric population. Here we describe a teenage girl who develops vomiting after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and presented with nystagmus, irritability, and ataxia. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of Wernicke encephalopathy in adolescents after bariatric surgery are discussed. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  20. The Thompson Encephalopathy Score and Short-Term Outcomes in Asphyxiated Newborns Treated With Therapeutic Hypothermia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thorsen, Patricia; Jansen-van der Weide, Martine C; Groenendaal, Floris; Onland, Wes; van Straaten, Henrika L M; Zonnenberg, Inge; Vermeulen, Jeroen R.; Dijk, Peter H; Dudink, Jeroen; Rijken, Monique; van Heijst, Arno; Dijkman, Koen P; Cools, Filip; Zecic, Alexandra; van Kaam, Anton H; de Haan, Timo R

    BACKGROUND: The Thompson encephalopathy score is a clinical score to assess newborns suffering from perinatal asphyxia. Previous studies revealed a high sensitivity and specificity of the Thompson encephalopathy score for adverse outcomes (death or severe disability). Because the Thompson

  1. [Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome after neurosurgery: A literature review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durán Paz, S; Moreno Casanova, I; Benatar-Haserfaty, J

    2015-12-01

    Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a clinical-radiological characterized by decreased level of consciousness, seizures, and visual disturbances, as well as radiologically ras brain edema, predominantly in parieto-occipital white matter regions. There are many situations that can trigger the disorder, including the administration of immunosuppressants, chemotherapy agents, hypertensive disorders, and sepsis. The case is described of a patient diagnosed with stage IV prostate adenocarcinoma, receiving chemotherapy, andundergoing a posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome after surgery for resection of brain metastasis. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  2. Wernicke’s encephalopathy following hyperemesis gravidarum: A case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    leila pourali

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Wernicke’s Korsakoff syndrome is the most important complication of severe thiamine deficiency. Confusion and gait ataxia are the most prevalent symptoms, respectively. The aim of this study was report of a case of Wernicke’s encephalopathy following hyperemesis gravidarum. Case report: A 28-years-old pregnant woman in 19th weeks of gestation referred to the hospital with hyperemesis, gait ataxia, and dysarthria. MRI showed hyperdense lesion which was characteristic of wernicke’s encephalopathy. Rapid improvement in patient’s condition occurred after thiamine infusion. Conclusion: In hyperemesis gravidarum, presence of either symptoms of ocular or mental disorder or ataxia must be considered to rull out Wernicke’s syndrome which can cause maternal death.

  3. RECENT THEORIES OF PATHOGENESIS OF HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN HEPATITIS C VIRAL INFECTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidija Popović Dragonjić

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Hepatic encephalopathy is potentially reversible, or progressive neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by changes in cognitive function, behavior and personality changes, and transient neurologic symptoms and characteristic electroencephalographic patterns associated with acute and chronic liver failure. For some time, there has been controversy regarding the origin of toxins responsible for the change of mental state. It was found that the occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy is responsible for multiple organ peripheral changes (intestinal changes, abnormalities of portal-systemic circulation, liver failure, loss of muscle tissue, changes in brain intracellular communication (osmotic changes, astrocytes and axonal abnormalities in communication, changes in cerebral perfusion and ammonia, endogenous benzodiazepines, gamma amino butyric acid, derivatives of methionine and false neurotransmitters. The aforementioned metabolic factors that contribute to the development of hepatic encephalopathy are not mutually exclusive and multiple factors may be present at the same time.

  4. Genetics Home Reference: early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 1 (EIEE1) is a seizure disorder characterized by a type of seizure known as ... 2 links) Health Topic: Developmental Disabilities Health Topic: Epilepsy Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (1 link) ...

  5. Oxidation reduces the fibrillation but not the neurotoxicity of the prion peptide PrP106-126

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bergstrøm, Linda Alice; Chabry, J.; Bastholm, L.

    2007-01-01

    There is increasing evidence that soluble oligomers of misfolded protein may play a role in the pathogenesis of protein misfolding diseases including the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) where the protein involved is the prion protein, PrP. The effect of oxidation on fibrillation...... tendency and neurotoxicity of different molecular variants of the prion peptide PrP106-126 was investigated. It was found that methionine oxidation significantly reduced amyloid fibril formation and proteinase K resistance, but it did not reduce (but rather increase slightly) the neurotoxicity...

  6. Epidemiological models to support animal disease surveillance activities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willeberg, Preben; Paisley, Larry; Lind, Peter

    2011-01-01

    and models for interpreting surveillance data as part of ongoing control or eradication programmes. Two Danish examples are outlined. The first illustrates how models were used in documenting country freedom from disease (trichinellosis) and the second demonstrates how models were of assistance in predicting...... the risk of future cases, detected and undetected, of a waning infection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Both studies were successful in advancing European policy changes to reduce the cost of surveillance to appropriate levels given the magnitude of the respective hazards....

  7. Application of rare variant transmission disequilibrium tests to epileptic encephalopathy trio sequence data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2017-01-01

    The classic epileptic encephalopathies, including infantile spasms (IS) and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), are severe seizure disorders that usually arise sporadically. De novo variants in genes mainly encoding ion channel and synaptic proteins have been found to account for over 15% of patients...... with IS or LGS. The contribution of autosomal recessive genetic variation, however, is less well understood. We implemented a rare variant transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) to search for autosomal recessive epileptic encephalopathy genes in a cohort of 320 outbred patient-parent trios that were generally...... not find evidence of a role for individual autosomal recessive genes, our current sample is insufficiently powered to assess the overall role of autosomal recessive genotypes in an outbred epileptic encephalopathy population....

  8. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials on probiotics for hepatic encephalopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holte, Kathrine; Krag, Aleksander; Gluud, Lise Lotte

    2012-01-01

    Aim:  The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of probiotics and synbiotics in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Methods:  Eligible trials were identified by searching electronic databases including MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Science Citation...... Index and Embase, abstract proceedings, reference lists and ongoing trial registers until 13 October 2010. We included randomized controlled trials comparing probiotics and synbiotics with no intervention, placebo or lactulose in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. The primary outcome measure...... was improvement in hepatic encephalopathy. Results were expressed as risk rates (RR) with confidence intervals (CI) and intertrial heterogeneity as I(2) . Results:  Seven trials with a total of 393 patients were analyzed. Compared to placebo or lactulose, treatment with probiotics or synbiotics significantly...

  9. Efficacy of Rifaximin in Prevention of Recurrence of Hepatic Encephalopathy in Patients with Cirrhosis of Liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, B.; Zaidi, Y. A.; Alam, A.; Anjum, H. S.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To determine the efficacy of Rifaximin in prevention of repeated episodes of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis as compared to placebo. Study Design: Triple-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, from October 2012 to April 2013. Methodology: Patients in remission from recurrent hepatic encephalopathy resulting from cirrhosis were randomly assigned to receive either Rifaximin, at a dose of 550 mg twice daily (63 patients), or placebo (63 patients.) Patients were requested to take the drug orally twice daily for 6 months or until they developed a breakthrough episode of hepatic encephalopathy. Results: Mean age of patients in treatment and control group was 40.21 A +- 2.33 years and 42.87 A +- 4.54 years respectively. The most common etiology of cirrhosis was hepatitis C followed by hepatitis B. Patients who remained free of hepatic encephalopathy during study period were 40 out of 63 patients in control group and 35 patients out of 63 patients (p = 0.56). Most of the patients who developed breakthrough hepatic encephalopathy had a MELD score range of 21-25 in both groups. The number of deaths and adverse events was similar in both groups. Conclusion: Over a 6-month period, treatment with Rifaximin failed to maintain remission from hepatic encephalopathy more effectively than placebo in the studied group. (author)

  10. Acute necrotising encephalopathy of childhood after exanthema subitum outside Japan or Taiwan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Porto, L.; Lanferman, H.; Moeller-Hartmann, W.; Jacobi, G.; Zanella, F. [Inst. fuer Neuroradiologie, Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Univ., Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

    1999-10-01

    Acute necrotising encephalopathy of childhood (ANE) is an uncommon disease which predominantly affects infants and young children living in Japan and Taiwan. A multifocal encephalopathy with symmetrical lesions in the thalamus, tegmentum of the brain stem, cerebral periventricular white matter and cerebellar medulla is characteristic. We present the imaging features in a 4-year-old Japanese boy who had been living in Germany for 2{sup 1}/{sub 2} years before presentation. (orig.)

  11. OUTCOMES in CHILDHOOD FOLLOWING THERAPEUTIC HYPOTHERMIA for NEONATAL HYPOXIC-ISCHEMIC ENCEPHALOPATHY (HIE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natarajan, Girija; Pappas, Athina; Shankaran, Seetha

    2017-01-01

    In this chapter we review the childhood outcomes of neonates with birth depression and/or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The outcomes of these children prior to the era of hypothermia for neuroprotection will first be summarized, followed by discussion of results from randomized controlled trials of therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. The predictors of outcome in childhood following neonatal HIE using clinical and imaging biomarkers following hypothermia therapy will be described. PMID:27863707

  12. Non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome in psychiatric patients with a history of undiagnosed Wernicke's encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolakaros, Georgios; Ilonen, Tuula; Kurki, Timo; Paju, Janina; Papageorgiou, Sokratis G; Vataja, Risto

    2016-11-15

    Wernicke's encephalopathy is often undiagnosed, particularly in non-alcoholics. There are very few reports of non-alcoholic patients diagnosed with Korsakoff syndrome in the absence of a prior diagnosis of Wernicke's encephalopathy and no studies of diffusion tensor imaging in non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome. We report on three non-alcoholic psychiatric patients (all women) with long-term non-progressive memory impairment that developed after malnutrition accompanied by at least one of the three Wernicke's encephalopathy manifestations: ocular abnormalities, ataxia or unsteadiness, and an altered mental state or mild memory impairment. In neuropsychological examination, all patients had memory impairment, including intrusions. One patient had mild cerebellar vermis atrophy in MRI taken after the second episode of Wernicke's encephalopathy. The same patient had mild hypometabolism in the lateral cortex of the temporal lobes. Another patient had mild symmetrical atrophy and hypometabolism of the superior frontal lobes. Two patients were examined with diffusion tensor imaging. Reduced fractional anisotropy values were found in the corona radiata in two patients, and the uncinate fasciculus and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus in one patient. Our results suggest that non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome is underdiagnosed. Psychiatric patients with long-term memory impairment may have Korsakoff syndrome and, therefore, they should be evaluated for a history of previously undiagnosed Wernicke's encephalopathy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Dextromethorphan in the treatment of early myoclonic encephalopathy evolving into migrating partial seizures in infancy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yin-Hsuan Chien

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Epileptic encephalopathy with suppression-burst in electroencephalography (EEG can evolve into a few types of epileptic syndromes. We present here an unusual case of early myoclonic encephalopathy that evolved into migrating partial seizures in infancy. A female neonate initially had erratic myoclonus movements, hiccups, and a suppression-burst pattern in EEG that was compatible with early myoclonic encephalopathy. The seizures were controlled with dextromethorphan (20 mg/kg, and a suppression-burst pattern in EEG was reverted to relatively normal background activity. However, at 72 days of age, alternating focal tonic seizures, compatible with migrating partial seizures in infancy, were demonstrated by the 24-hour EEG recording. The seizures responded poorly to dextromethorphan. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of early myoclonic encephalopathy evolving into migrating partial seizure in infancy. Whether it represents another age-dependent epilepsy evolution needs more clinical observation.

  14. A machine learning approach to automated structural network analysis: application to neonatal encephalopathy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Etay Ziv

    Full Text Available Neonatal encephalopathy represents a heterogeneous group of conditions associated with life-long developmental disabilities and neurological deficits. Clinical measures and current anatomic brain imaging remain inadequate predictors of outcome in children with neonatal encephalopathy. Some studies have suggested that brain development and, therefore, brain connectivity may be altered in the subgroup of patients who subsequently go on to develop clinically significant neurological abnormalities. Large-scale structural brain connectivity networks constructed using diffusion tractography have been posited to reflect organizational differences in white matter architecture at the mesoscale, and thus offer a unique tool for characterizing brain development in patients with neonatal encephalopathy. In this manuscript we use diffusion tractography to construct structural networks for a cohort of patients with neonatal encephalopathy. We systematically map these networks to a high-dimensional space and then apply standard machine learning algorithms to predict neurological outcome in the cohort. Using nested cross-validation we demonstrate high prediction accuracy that is both statistically significant and robust over a broad range of thresholds. Our algorithm offers a novel tool to evaluate neonates at risk for developing neurological deficit. The described approach can be applied to any brain pathology that affects structural connectivity.

  15. Wernicke's Encephalopathy in a Nigerian with Schizophrenia ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    While Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is a well-characterized syndrome in alcoholism and malnutrition, little is written of its prevalence or presentation in patients with psychiatric illness. We present a case of a 37-year-old Nigerian male with schizophrenia and malnutrition who presented with delirium and ophthalmoplegia ...

  16. CDKL5 alterations lead to early epileptic encephalopathy in both genders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Jao-Shwann; Shimojima, Keiko; Takayama, Rumiko; Natsume, Jun; Shichiji, Minobu; Hirasawa, Kyoko; Imai, Kaoru; Okanishi, Tohru; Mizuno, Seiji; Okumura, Akihisa; Sugawara, Midori; Ito, Tomoshiro; Ikeda, Hiroko; Takahashi, Yukitoshi; Oguni, Hirokazu; Imai, Katsumi; Osawa, Makiko; Yamamoto, Toshiyuki

    2011-10-01

    Genetic mutations of the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 gene (CDKL5) have been reported in patients with epileptic encephalopathy, which is characterized by intractable seizures and severe-to-profound developmental delay. We investigated the clinical relevance of CDKL5 alterations in both genders. A total of 125 patients with epileptic encephalopathy were examined for genomic copy number aberrations, and 119 patients with no such aberrations were further examined for CDKL5 mutations. Five patients with Rett syndrome, who did not show methyl CpG-binding protein 2 gene (MECP2) mutations, were also examined for CDKL5 mutations. One male and three female patients showed submicroscopic deletions including CDKL5, and two male and six female patients showed CDKL5 nucleotide alterations. Development of early onset seizure was a characteristic clinical feature for the patients with CDKL5 alterations in both genders despite polymorphous seizure types, including myoclonic seizures, tonic seizures, and spasms. Severe developmental delays and mild frontal lobe atrophies revealed by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were observed in almost all patients, and there was no gender difference in phenotypic features. We observed that 5% of the male patients and 14% of the female patients with epileptic encephalopathy had CDKL5 alterations. These findings indicate that alterations in CDKL5 are associated with early epileptic encephalopathy in both female and male patients. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 International League Against Epilepsy.

  17. A case of recurrent encephalopathy with SCN2A missense mutation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukasawa, Tatsuya; Kubota, Tetsuo; Negoro, Tamiko; Saitoh, Makiko; Mizuguchi, Masashi; Ihara, Yukiko; Ishii, Atsushi; Hirose, Shinichi

    2015-06-01

    Voltage-gated sodium channels regulate neuronal excitability, as well as survival and the patterning of neuronal connectivity during development. Mutations in SCN2A, which encodes the Na(+) channel Nav1.2, cause epilepsy syndromes and predispose children to acute encephalopathy. Here, we report the case of a young male with recurrent acute encephalopathy who carried a novel missense mutation in the SCN2A gene. He was born by normal delivery and developed repetitive apneic episodes at 2days of age. Diffusion-weighted imaging revealed high-intensity areas in diffuse subcortical white matter, bilateral thalami, and basal nuclei. His symptoms improved gradually without any specific treatment, but he exhibited a motor milestone delay after the episode. At the age of 10months, he developed acute cerebellopathy associated with a respiratory syncytial viral infection. He received high-dose intravenous gammaglobulin and methylprednisolone pulse therapy and seemed to have no obvious sequelae after the episode. He then developed severe diffuse encephalopathy associated with gastroenteritis at the age of 14months. He received high-dose intravenous gammaglobulin and methylprednisolone pulse therapy but was left with severe neurological sequelae. PCR-based analysis revealed a novel de novo missense mutation, c.4979T>G (p.Leu1660Trp), in the SCN2A gene. This case suggests that SCN2A mutations might predispose children to repetitive encephalopathy with variable clinical and imaging findings. Copyright © 2014 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Current trends in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamad Rasm Al Sibae

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Mohamad Rasm Al Sibae, Brendan M McGuireDepartment of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USAAbstract: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE is a common reversible neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with chronic and acute liver dysfunction and significant morbidity and mortality. Although a clear pathogenesis is yet to be determined, elevated ammonia in the serum and central nervous system are the mainstay for pathogenesis and treatment. Management includes early diagnosis and prompt treatment of precipitating factors (infection, gastrointestinal bleeding, electrolyte disturbances, hepatocellular carcinoma, dehydration, hypotension, and use of benzodiazepines, psychoactive drugs, and/or alcohol. Clinical trials have established the efficacy of lactulose and lactitol enemas in the treatment of acute hepatic encephalopathy. Extensive clinical experience has demonstrated the efficacy of oral lactulose and lactitol with the goal of two to three soft bowel movements a day for the treatment of chronic HE. However, lactulose and lactitol have significant gastrointestinal side effects. For patients unable to tolerate lactulose or lactitol or who still have persistent chronic HE with lactulose or lactitol, neomycin, metronidazole and rifaximin are second-line agents. More recent data supports the benefits of rifaximin used solely and as an additional agent with fewer side effects than neomycin or metronidazole. Newer therapies being investigated in humans with clinical promise include nitazoxanide, the molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS, L-ornithine phenylacetate, sodium benzoate, and/or sodium phenylacetate and Kremezin® (AST-120.Keywords: hepatic encephalopathy, liver dysfunction, lactulose, lactitol

  19. Management and investigation of neonatal encephalopathy: 2017 update

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinello, Kathryn; Hart, Anthony R; Yap, Sufin; Mitra, Subhabrata

    2017-01-01

    This review discusses an approach to determining the cause of neonatal encephalopathy, as well as current evidence on resuscitation and subsequent management of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). Encephalopathy in neonates can be due to varied aetiologies in addition to hypoxic-ischaemia. A combination of careful history, examination and the judicious use of investigations can help determine the cause. Over the last 7 years, infants with moderate to severe HIE have benefited from the introduction of routine therapeutic hypothermia; the number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome is 7 (95% CI 5 to 10). More recent research has focused on optimal resuscitation practices for babies with cardiorespiratory depression, such as delayed cord clamping after establishment of ventilation and resuscitation in air. Around a quarter of infants with asystole at 10 min after birth who are subsequently cooled have normal outcomes, suggesting that individualised decision making on stopping resuscitation is needed, based on access to intensive treatment unit and early cooling. The full benefit of cooling appears to have been exploited in our current treatment protocols of 72 hours at 33.5°C; deeper and longer cooling showed adverse outcome. The challenge over the next 5–10 years will be to assess which adjunct therapies are safe and optimise hypothermic brain protection in phase I and phase II trials. Optimal care may require tailoring treatments according to gender, genetic risk, injury severity and inflammatory status. PMID:28389438

  20. Genetics Home Reference: MECP2-related severe neonatal encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... and Stroke: Encephalopathy Information Page National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Microcephaly Information Page Educational Resources (8 links) Boston Children's Hospital: Seizures Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: ...