Variant CJD Flashcards
What is the infection agent of variant CJD?
Prion protein
- infectious agent devoid of nucleic acid
What is the variant CJD disease actually due to?
Due to the accumulation of an abnormal form of a natural protein (makes it difficult to detect & mount antibodies against it)
How does vCJD reproduce?
Scrapie infected cell that causes a chain reaction that causes cell reproduction and division
- leads to spongieform appearance of brain in infected individuals
What is the reservoir of vCJD?
Cattle
How many cases in the UK of vCJD?
178 roughly
What is the tissue infectivity of the brain/spinal cord/cranial ganglia in vCJD?
high
What is the tissue infectivity of the optic nerve & retina in vCJD?
high
What is the tissue infectivity of the appendix/tonsil/spleen in vCJD?
medium
What is the tissue infectivity of the blood & other tissues in vCJD?
low
Which oral tissues become infective with vCJD ?
Gingival margin shown to have highest levels of infectivity in oral cavity
How do we treat patients with vCJD?
Standard procedure
