Prions Flashcards
What are the 4 Human Prion Diseases?
CJD- Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease
GSS- Gerstmann-Strauddier Scheinker Disease
FFI- Fatal Familial Disease
Kuru
What are the 4 kinds of CJD?
sporadic
new variant
familial
iatrogenic
How does Kuru occur?
ritualistic cannibalism for ritualistic mourning of the dead
What are the common characteristics of the Prion diseases?
long incubation time gradual increase in severity no host immune response non-inflammatory process in brain neruopathological findings
What are the neuropathological findings in prion diseases?
macroscopic exam is normal
microscopic spongiform changes- small empty vacuoles, neuronal loss, amyloid plaques, and accumulation of prion protein (PrP)
What are the neurological symptoms in prion diseases?
Rapid progressive dementia Psychiatric symptoms Cerebellar symptoms (ataxia) Involuntary movements (myoclonus) Fatality
What is the major component of Prions?
prion protein (PrP)
What is PrPc?
Cellular isoform of PrP
What is PrPsc?
disease associated isoform of PrP–> SCrapie
What is the difference between PrPc and PrPsc?
the conformation
What are the 3 etiologies of PrP?
Inherited- mutations in PrP gene cause spontaneous PrPsc formation
Infectious- exogenous PrPsc causes PrPc to turn into PrPsc
Sporadic- unknown mechanism
What is the transmission process of Prions?
inoculation of oral
What is the golden standard for diagnosing Prion diseases?
histopathological exam and immunostaining for PrPsc in brain tissue
What are other findings in Prion disease diagnosis?
tau plaques, hockey stick looking MRI, tonsil biopsy for vCJD
What are the characteristics of Kuru?
infectious
ataxia, myoclonus, dementia
months before death