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Volume 31, Number 12—December 2025

Dispatch

Abnormal Prion Protein in Nasal Swab Specimens of Macaques Infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Juraj Cervenak, Oksana Yakovleva, Cyrus Bett, Teresa Pilant, Kelly Rice, Lewis Shankle1, David M. Asher1, Luisa GregoriComments to Author , and Pedro Piccardo
Author affiliation: US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA (J. Cervenak, O. Yakovleva, C. Bett, T. Pilant, K. Rice, L. Shankle, D.M. Asher, L. Gregori, P. Piccardo); Unidad Académica de Neuropediátria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay (P. Piccardo)

Main Article

Table 2

Summary of test results from study of abnormal prion protein in nasal swab specimens of macaques infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease*

Recipient macaque ID Clinical status Tissue tested Western blot† RT-QuIC PMCA Histology Total mice inoculated/ positive results‡
CO1619 Asymptomatic Brain Neg Neg Neg Neg 40/0
Spleen ND ND Neg ND 10/0
Ileum ND ND Neg ND 15/0
Blood NA NA Neg N/A ND
Nasal swab ND Neg Neg NA ND
98CO19 Asymptomatic Brain Neg Neg Neg Neg 51/0
Blood NA ND Neg NA ND
Nasal swab ND W pos Neg NA ND
Lymph node ND W pos Neg Pos ND
DEIM Symptomatic Brain Pos ND ND Pos ND
Blood NA NA Pos NA ND
Nasal swabs ND Pos Pos NA ND
CSF ND Pos ND NA ND
DFOO Asymptomatic Brain Neg Neg Neg Neg ND
Blood NA NA Neg NA ND
Nasal swab ND Neg Neg NA ND
CSF Neg Neg Neg NA ND

CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; pos, TSE positive; W pos, weak TSE positive; neg, TSE negative; NA, not applicable; ND, not done; RT-QuIC, real-time quaking-induced conversion; TSE, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. †We used 10% homogenates in phosphate-buffered saline, treated with 20 U/mL of benzonase nuclease for 30 minutes at room temperature with constant mixing, followed with 50 μg/mL proteinase K for 1 hour at 37°C to remove normal prion protein. Samples were processed for NuPAGE on 12% Bis-Tris precast gels (Thermo Fisher Scientific, https://www.thermofisher.com), prion protein detected using 3F4 mouse anti-PrP monoclonal antibody (Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Institute for Basic Research; https://corporate.rfmh.org/). ‡We inoculated intracerebrally 30-µL aliquots of 1% tissue homogenates into transgenic mice overexpressing the bovine prion protein, TgBo110 (10). We monitored mice for 2 years for signs of vCJD and tested the brain of every mouse for PrPTSE with real-time quaking-induced conversion.

Main Article

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Main Article

1Retired.

We transfused 4 macaques with blood of macaques previously infected with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, resulting in disease transmittal to 2 macaques (1 demonstrating clinical signs). Nasal swab specimens from both infected macaques became positive for disease-associated prion protein during the preclinical stage. Such samples are suitable for antemortem diagnosis during long incubation periods.

Page created: December 13, 2025
Page updated: December 23, 2025
Page reviewed: December 23, 2025
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