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Assessing Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Species Barriers with an In Vitro Prion Protein Conversion Assay
Published on: March 10, 2015
Comparative evidence for a link between Peyer's patch development and susceptibility to transmissible spongiform
Suzanne G St Rose1, Nora Hunter, Louise Matthews
1Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JF, UK. s0231156@sms.ed.ac.uk
BMC Infectious Diseases
|January 13, 2006
Summary
The development of gut lymphoid tissue, specifically Peyer's patches (PPs), correlates with the risk of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in sheep, cattle, and humans. This finding helps explain age-related susceptibility to these diseases.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Immunology
Background:
- Epidemiological data show age-related patterns in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) but lack mechanistic explanations.
- The relationship between host age, immune system development, and TSE susceptibility is poorly understood.
- Investigating the gut's lymphoid tissue, particularly Peyer's patches (PPs), may reveal mechanisms underlying age-dependent TSE risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that TSE infection risk correlates with the development of gut lymphoid tissue.
- To compare this correlation across different host species: sheep, cattle, and humans.
- To elucidate age-related susceptibility patterns in TSEs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized anatomical data and mathematical models incorporating existing risk estimates for sheep, cattle, and humans.
- Calculated Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rs) between Peyer's patch (PP) development measures and age-specific TSE infection risk.
- Analyzed correlations for sheep (ileal PP surface area, lymphoid follicle density), cattle (PP tissue weight), and humans (number of PPs).
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between PP development and TSE infection risk across all three species.
- For sheep, correlations were high (rs = 0.913 and 0.933) for PP surface area and lymphoid follicle density, respectively.
- Significant correlations were also observed for cattle (rs = 0.693) and humans (rs = 0.384), with human correlations remaining significant after accounting for BSE exposure.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a strong association between Peyer's patch development and susceptibility to natural TSE infections in sheep, cattle, and humans.
- This association may explain variations in TSE susceptibility with host age.
- The study provides a potential mechanism for differences in age-susceptibility relationships observed between species.
