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Amyloid-specific fluorophores for the rapid, sensitive in situ detection of prion contamination on surgical instruments

Amyloid-specific fluorophores for the rapid, sensitive in situ detection of prion contamination on surgical instruments
Amyloid-specific fluorophores for the rapid, sensitive in situ detection of prion contamination on surgical instruments
Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of rare, transmissible and fatal neurodegenerative diseases associated with the protein agent (PrPSc). As such, the sensitive and rapid detection of prion PrPSc amyloid on the surface of suspect surgical instruments is of great importance and may even allow remedial action to be taken prior to any further operative intervention and possible iatrogenic transmission. However, conventional PrPSc detection methodologies tend to rely on the inefficient and unreliable removal of suspect material from a surface using swabs or wipes prior to antibody analysis. Here we show how the combination of an advanced light microscope technique, episcopic differential interference contrast/epifluorescence (EDIC/EF) microscopy, and the application of beta-amyloid fluorescent thiazole markers (thioflavin T, thioflavin S) can be used to detect, in situ, submicron (attomole) levels of prion protein amyloid contamination in brain and spleen sections, smears and homogenate on surgical stainless steel surfaces and surgical instruments. This technique, although not specific to an amyloid type, can be used to verify that surgical instruments are substantially free from prion amyloid protein soiling and hence reduce the risk of iatrogenic transmission.
0022-1317
2619-2626
Lipscomb, I.P.
bb93c4d9-33b7-4323-9e3c-8922d13994cc
Herve, R.
9baddc65-93cf-4a18-9388-088d60572b06
Harris, K.
c08336c0-6db3-4798-8695-8f7bc7d6d5fa
Pinchin, H.
c77e0380-5445-4cc9-bfae-f550d1dbbea2
Collin, R.
a616d2cb-f11d-4fba-b353-61bcc678449a
Keevil, C.W.
cb7de0a7-ce33-4cfa-af52-07f99e5650eb
Lipscomb, I.P.
bb93c4d9-33b7-4323-9e3c-8922d13994cc
Herve, R.
9baddc65-93cf-4a18-9388-088d60572b06
Harris, K.
c08336c0-6db3-4798-8695-8f7bc7d6d5fa
Pinchin, H.
c77e0380-5445-4cc9-bfae-f550d1dbbea2
Collin, R.
a616d2cb-f11d-4fba-b353-61bcc678449a
Keevil, C.W.
cb7de0a7-ce33-4cfa-af52-07f99e5650eb

Lipscomb, I.P., Herve, R., Harris, K., Pinchin, H., Collin, R. and Keevil, C.W. (2007) Amyloid-specific fluorophores for the rapid, sensitive in situ detection of prion contamination on surgical instruments. Journal of General Virology, 88, part 9, 2619-2626. (doi:10.1099/vir.0.82228-0). (PMID:17698675)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of rare, transmissible and fatal neurodegenerative diseases associated with the protein agent (PrPSc). As such, the sensitive and rapid detection of prion PrPSc amyloid on the surface of suspect surgical instruments is of great importance and may even allow remedial action to be taken prior to any further operative intervention and possible iatrogenic transmission. However, conventional PrPSc detection methodologies tend to rely on the inefficient and unreliable removal of suspect material from a surface using swabs or wipes prior to antibody analysis. Here we show how the combination of an advanced light microscope technique, episcopic differential interference contrast/epifluorescence (EDIC/EF) microscopy, and the application of beta-amyloid fluorescent thiazole markers (thioflavin T, thioflavin S) can be used to detect, in situ, submicron (attomole) levels of prion protein amyloid contamination in brain and spleen sections, smears and homogenate on surgical stainless steel surfaces and surgical instruments. This technique, although not specific to an amyloid type, can be used to verify that surgical instruments are substantially free from prion amyloid protein soiling and hence reduce the risk of iatrogenic transmission.

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Published date: 1 September 2007

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 56375
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/56375
ISSN: 0022-1317
PURE UUID: 5d957979-2fe0-4f1b-b42d-099a537bfaa1
ORCID for R. Herve: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8838-6515
ORCID for C.W. Keevil: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1917-7706

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Date deposited: 08 Aug 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:33

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Contributors

Author: I.P. Lipscomb
Author: R. Herve ORCID iD
Author: K. Harris
Author: H. Pinchin
Author: R. Collin
Author: C.W. Keevil ORCID iD

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