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A pilot to examine the logistical and feasibility issues in testing deceased tissue donors for vCJD using tonsil as the analyte

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Abstract

Transplanted tissues have transmitted transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and in the UK there have been more cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) than elsewhere in the world. A pilot study was undertaken to look at the feasibility of testing for vCJD in deceased donors using tonsillar tissue. This pilot showed that obtaining consent for removal and testing tonsil tissue was feasible. Donor eligibility for inclusion in the pilot was limited to tissue donors from the National Health Service Blood and Transplant, Tissue Services and to donors shared with the Corneal Transplant Service Eye Banks. Obtaining tonsillar tissue in the immediate post–mortem period was limited by the presence of rigor mortis. Tonsillar tissue was suitable for routine analysis for the presence of prion associated with vCJD in deceased tissue donors. Production and processing of tissue was straightforward and a low assay background was obtained from most samples. Since palatine and lingual tonsil tissue can be obtained in pairs it was possible, in the majority of cases, to set aside an intact sample for confirmatory testing if required. In one instance a sample was reactive by Western blot. However, the pattern of reactivity was not typical for that obtained from vCJD patients. Unfortunately the sample was not of sufficient quality for the confirmatory test to provide a conclusive result.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tissue Services, National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5BG, UK

    Ruth M. Warwick & Stefan Poniatowski

  2. School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Eye Hospital, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol, BS1 2LX, UK

    W. John Armitage

  3. Tissue Services, NHS Blood and Transplant, 14 Estuary Banks, Speke, Liverpool, L24 8RB, UK

    Akila Chandrasekar

  4. NHS Blood and Transplant, International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, 500 North Bristol Park, Northway, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7QH, UK

    Gary Mallinson

  5. NHS Blood and Transplant, Oak House, Reeds Crescent, Watford, Herts, WD24 4QN, UK

    Anthony Clarkson

Authors
  1. Ruth M. Warwick
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  2. W. John Armitage
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  3. Akila Chandrasekar
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  4. Gary Mallinson
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  5. Stefan Poniatowski
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  6. Anthony Clarkson
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Correspondence to Ruth M. Warwick.

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Warwick, R.M., Armitage, W.J., Chandrasekar, A. et al. A pilot to examine the logistical and feasibility issues in testing deceased tissue donors for vCJD using tonsil as the analyte. Cell Tissue Bank 13, 53–61 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10561-010-9228-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10561-010-9228-y

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