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Updated: May 21, 2026

Clinical Examination Protocol to Detect Atypical and Classical Scrapie in Sheep
Published on: January 19, 2014
Retrospective analysis of sheep scrapie by western blotting with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues
Gantsetseg Dorj1, Hiroyuki Okada, Kohtaro Miyazawa
1Prion Disease Research Center, National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba 305-0856, Japan.
Abstract:
An abnormal isoform of prion protein (PrP(Sc)) was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from sheep and analyzed by western blotting. PrP(Sc) immunoreactivity against anti-PrP monoclonal antibody T2, which recognizes discontinuous PrP sequences, differed amongst individual scrapie sheep cases. This may reflect structural differences in PrP(Sc) that have been formalin-fixed prior to their extraction. This study indicates that western blotting by using FFPE tissues is useful for the retrospective analysis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in which only formalin-fixed samples are available and in conducting transmissible spongiform encephalopathies surveillance where freezing system is insufficient.

