Posted on Jun 4, 2015
How many other veterans and service members are not permitted to donate blood? Why?
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What Happened to Mad Cow Disease?
If you were around in the '90s, you might remember the scare over mad cow disease, but it seems to have quieted down in the intervening years. What happened?...
I try to give back to the people of this nation as I am able. I used to donate blood regularly; but because I was stationed in Germany in the early 1980's when some beef in military mess halls came from cows with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) [Mad Cow] I can no longer donate blood because we have become infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD); "Mad Cow Disease." I learned recently that people with HIV can now donate blood - per conversation with Red Cross POC, efforts were funded to come up with a way that HIV positive people can donate blood. That saddened me and made me mad. Bovine spongiform can only be tested through autopsy right now. Many of those of us who served in Europe during the latter part of the cold war have not been able to donate blood. I hope that NIH will make in a priority and obtain funding to develop ways to test for bovine spongiform in people through a blood test.
[Note: I updated the question from "veterans" to "Veterans and service members" on June 6, 2015 - 71st anniversary of D Day - Operation Overlord]
[update May 18, 2018] As of 2017, worldwide 230 people, roughly 180 in the UK have been infected with vCJD and 4 people in the USA have been infected.
Mad Cow and VCJD are nervous system diseases which are based on diseased prions [not the car]. Diseased prions binds to proteins and converts them to prions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxojz6grwcU
Thanks to 1SG (Join to see) for alerting me that "there is progress in the development of methods to detect misfolded proteins in the bloodstream" I did research and found the following at an NIH site.
As this article informs us there has been progress in control groups testing of "developed blood tests to detect prion." The article states that there are plans to "validate their methods using larger samples sizes."
Hopefully this process will be successful to detect whether or not we have been infected by Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD); "Mad Cow Disease."
"Prion diseases are a group of rare, fatal brain diseases that affect animals and humans. They are caused by normally harmless proteins that become abnormal and form clumps in the brain. One form, called variant CJD (vCJD), is associated with eating meat from cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as “mad cow” disease.
People may have vCJD for years before symptoms—such as depression, hallucinations, moving difficulties, and dementia—appear. These “silent” carriers have small amounts of prions in their bloodstreams and can transmit the disease to others via blood transfusions. The only current method to diagnose vCJD is to perform a biopsy or a postmortem analysis of brain tissue. Thus, a noninvasive test to detect prions in blood is a medical priority.
Two research groups recently developed blood tests to detect prions. The results appeared in a pair of papers published on December 21, 2016, in Science Translational Medicine. One of the groups, led by Dr. Claudio Soto of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
Prions are scarce in the bloodstream and difficult to measure. Both teams developed methods to amplify the prions in blood samples using a technique called protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). PMCA relies on the characteristic nature of prions to cause certain healthy proteins to clump abnormally and convert into prions.
Soto’s group first combined healthy proteins with known concentrations of infectious vCJD prions. They intermittently agitated these mixtures with sound waves. The agitation helped break the prions into smaller chunks. This increased the number of prions that could then convert healthy proteins into prions. Using this method, the scientists were able to detect more than a billion-fold dilution of prions using an anti-prion antibody.
The scientists next tested whether the technique could be used to detect prions in blood samples from 14 people with vCJD and 153 controls. The controls included healthy people as well as people with different neurological or neurodegenerative disorders, including sporadic CJD, the most common form of CJD. The assay flagged all the vCJD samples correctly.
In the second paper, a French research group described a similar approach testing a blinded panel of blood samples. That team identified 18 vCJD patients in a group of 256 samples.
“Our findings, which need to be confirmed in further studies, suggest that our method of detection could be useful for the noninvasive diagnosis of this disease in pre-symptomatic individuals,” Soto says. Early diagnosis would allow potential therapies to be tested before substantial brain damage occurred. This technique would also allow blood contaminated with prions to be detected and removed from the blood supply.
Both teams are now working to validate their methods using larger samples sizes.
―by Anita Ramanathan
nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-method-accurately-detects-prions-blood
~793507:LTC Bill Koski] CW5 (Join to see) MSG Brad Sand SGM Steve Wettstein SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SP5 Mark Kuzinski SrA Christopher Wright PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 John Miller SP5 Robert Ruck SPC (Join to see) PO3 Steven Sherrill SN Greg Wright Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey TSgt Joe C. Cpl Joshua Caldwell SGT Michael Thorin SP5 Dave (Shotgun) Shockley SPC Margaret Higgins
[Note: I updated the question from "veterans" to "Veterans and service members" on June 6, 2015 - 71st anniversary of D Day - Operation Overlord]
[update May 18, 2018] As of 2017, worldwide 230 people, roughly 180 in the UK have been infected with vCJD and 4 people in the USA have been infected.
Mad Cow and VCJD are nervous system diseases which are based on diseased prions [not the car]. Diseased prions binds to proteins and converts them to prions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxojz6grwcU
Thanks to 1SG (Join to see) for alerting me that "there is progress in the development of methods to detect misfolded proteins in the bloodstream" I did research and found the following at an NIH site.
As this article informs us there has been progress in control groups testing of "developed blood tests to detect prion." The article states that there are plans to "validate their methods using larger samples sizes."
Hopefully this process will be successful to detect whether or not we have been infected by Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD); "Mad Cow Disease."
"Prion diseases are a group of rare, fatal brain diseases that affect animals and humans. They are caused by normally harmless proteins that become abnormal and form clumps in the brain. One form, called variant CJD (vCJD), is associated with eating meat from cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as “mad cow” disease.
People may have vCJD for years before symptoms—such as depression, hallucinations, moving difficulties, and dementia—appear. These “silent” carriers have small amounts of prions in their bloodstreams and can transmit the disease to others via blood transfusions. The only current method to diagnose vCJD is to perform a biopsy or a postmortem analysis of brain tissue. Thus, a noninvasive test to detect prions in blood is a medical priority.
Two research groups recently developed blood tests to detect prions. The results appeared in a pair of papers published on December 21, 2016, in Science Translational Medicine. One of the groups, led by Dr. Claudio Soto of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
Prions are scarce in the bloodstream and difficult to measure. Both teams developed methods to amplify the prions in blood samples using a technique called protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). PMCA relies on the characteristic nature of prions to cause certain healthy proteins to clump abnormally and convert into prions.
Soto’s group first combined healthy proteins with known concentrations of infectious vCJD prions. They intermittently agitated these mixtures with sound waves. The agitation helped break the prions into smaller chunks. This increased the number of prions that could then convert healthy proteins into prions. Using this method, the scientists were able to detect more than a billion-fold dilution of prions using an anti-prion antibody.
The scientists next tested whether the technique could be used to detect prions in blood samples from 14 people with vCJD and 153 controls. The controls included healthy people as well as people with different neurological or neurodegenerative disorders, including sporadic CJD, the most common form of CJD. The assay flagged all the vCJD samples correctly.
In the second paper, a French research group described a similar approach testing a blinded panel of blood samples. That team identified 18 vCJD patients in a group of 256 samples.
“Our findings, which need to be confirmed in further studies, suggest that our method of detection could be useful for the noninvasive diagnosis of this disease in pre-symptomatic individuals,” Soto says. Early diagnosis would allow potential therapies to be tested before substantial brain damage occurred. This technique would also allow blood contaminated with prions to be detected and removed from the blood supply.
Both teams are now working to validate their methods using larger samples sizes.
―by Anita Ramanathan
nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-method-accurately-detects-prions-blood
~793507:LTC Bill Koski] CW5 (Join to see) MSG Brad Sand SGM Steve Wettstein SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SP5 Mark Kuzinski SrA Christopher Wright PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 John Miller SP5 Robert Ruck SPC (Join to see) PO3 Steven Sherrill SN Greg Wright Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey TSgt Joe C. Cpl Joshua Caldwell SGT Michael Thorin SP5 Dave (Shotgun) Shockley SPC Margaret Higgins
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Edited 6 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 249
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You can see by the numbers how frustrating this topic is for most of us. Thanks for posting!
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Since Congress is winding down for the summer, right now may be a great time to contact your Congressional representatives [Senators and Congressman/woman] to request they work on getting HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] to direct NIH to develop blood tests for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD) antibodies or the disease.
We want tests for individuals that would let us know whether or not we have the disease or antibodies for it. This would not require testing the entire blood supply.
It would be much better for the few who might have the disease to know and the rest of us to be free to donate again.
I know many of you have already contacted congress to request they get moving on this issue.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, LTC Stephen C., SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas, SFC Mark Merino, SFC (Join to see), SGT John Wesley, PO1 John Miller, Cpl Andrew Tucker, SFC (Join to see), CPL Doug Hill, TSgt Thomas Monaghan, SFC Cindy Paris, SGT Tim Fridley, Sgt (Join to see), SGT (Join to see) SGT Randal Groover, SGT Forrest Stewart, SGT Scott Bell, SPC (Join to see)
We want tests for individuals that would let us know whether or not we have the disease or antibodies for it. This would not require testing the entire blood supply.
It would be much better for the few who might have the disease to know and the rest of us to be free to donate again.
I know many of you have already contacted congress to request they get moving on this issue.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, LTC Stephen C., SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas, SFC Mark Merino, SFC (Join to see), SGT John Wesley, PO1 John Miller, Cpl Andrew Tucker, SFC (Join to see), CPL Doug Hill, TSgt Thomas Monaghan, SFC Cindy Paris, SGT Tim Fridley, Sgt (Join to see), SGT (Join to see) SGT Randal Groover, SGT Forrest Stewart, SGT Scott Bell, SPC (Join to see)
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you for weighing in on this sensitive issue SFC Bryan Lambing -
By the way, last year I posted the information provided by Anita Ramanathan. focused on "Two research groups recently developed blood tests to detect prions."
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-method-accurately-detects-prions-blood
"Prion diseases are a group of rare, fatal brain diseases that affect animals and humans. They are caused by normally harmless proteins that become abnormal and form clumps in the brain. One form, called variant CJD (vCJD), is associated with eating meat from cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as “mad cow” disease.
People may have vCJD for years before symptoms—such as depression, hallucinations, moving difficulties, and dementia—appear. These “silent” carriers have small amounts of prions in their bloodstreams and can transmit the disease to others via blood transfusions. The only current method to diagnose vCJD is to perform a biopsy or a postmortem analysis of brain tissue. Thus, a noninvasive test to detect prions in blood is a medical priority.
Two research groups recently developed blood tests to detect prions. The results appeared in a pair of papers published on December 21, 2016, in Science Translational Medicine. One of the groups, led by Dr. Claudio Soto of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
Prions are scarce in the bloodstream and difficult to measure. Both teams developed methods to amplify the prions in blood samples using a technique called protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). PMCA relies on the characteristic nature of prions to cause certain healthy proteins to clump abnormally and convert into prions.
Soto’s group first combined healthy proteins with known concentrations of infectious vCJD prions. They intermittently agitated these mixtures with sound waves. The agitation helped break the prions into smaller chunks. This increased the number of prions that could then convert healthy proteins into prions. Using this method, the scientists were able to detect more than a billion-fold dilution of prions using an anti-prion antibody.
The scientists next tested whether the technique could be used to detect prions in blood samples from 14 people with vCJD and 153 controls. The controls included healthy people as well as people with different neurological or neurodegenerative disorders, including sporadic CJD, the most common form of CJD. The assay flagged all the vCJD samples correctly.
In the second paper, a French research group described a similar approach testing a blinded panel of blood samples. That team identified 18 vCJD patients in a group of 256 samples.
“Our findings, which need to be confirmed in further studies, suggest that our method of detection could be useful for the noninvasive diagnosis of this disease in pre-symptomatic individuals,” Soto says. Early diagnosis would allow potential therapies to be tested before substantial brain damage occurred. This technique would also allow blood contaminated with prions to be detected and removed from the blood supply.
Both teams are now working to validate their methods using larger samples sizes.
―by Anita Ramanathan
By the way, last year I posted the information provided by Anita Ramanathan. focused on "Two research groups recently developed blood tests to detect prions."
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-method-accurately-detects-prions-blood
"Prion diseases are a group of rare, fatal brain diseases that affect animals and humans. They are caused by normally harmless proteins that become abnormal and form clumps in the brain. One form, called variant CJD (vCJD), is associated with eating meat from cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as “mad cow” disease.
People may have vCJD for years before symptoms—such as depression, hallucinations, moving difficulties, and dementia—appear. These “silent” carriers have small amounts of prions in their bloodstreams and can transmit the disease to others via blood transfusions. The only current method to diagnose vCJD is to perform a biopsy or a postmortem analysis of brain tissue. Thus, a noninvasive test to detect prions in blood is a medical priority.
Two research groups recently developed blood tests to detect prions. The results appeared in a pair of papers published on December 21, 2016, in Science Translational Medicine. One of the groups, led by Dr. Claudio Soto of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
Prions are scarce in the bloodstream and difficult to measure. Both teams developed methods to amplify the prions in blood samples using a technique called protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). PMCA relies on the characteristic nature of prions to cause certain healthy proteins to clump abnormally and convert into prions.
Soto’s group first combined healthy proteins with known concentrations of infectious vCJD prions. They intermittently agitated these mixtures with sound waves. The agitation helped break the prions into smaller chunks. This increased the number of prions that could then convert healthy proteins into prions. Using this method, the scientists were able to detect more than a billion-fold dilution of prions using an anti-prion antibody.
The scientists next tested whether the technique could be used to detect prions in blood samples from 14 people with vCJD and 153 controls. The controls included healthy people as well as people with different neurological or neurodegenerative disorders, including sporadic CJD, the most common form of CJD. The assay flagged all the vCJD samples correctly.
In the second paper, a French research group described a similar approach testing a blinded panel of blood samples. That team identified 18 vCJD patients in a group of 256 samples.
“Our findings, which need to be confirmed in further studies, suggest that our method of detection could be useful for the noninvasive diagnosis of this disease in pre-symptomatic individuals,” Soto says. Early diagnosis would allow potential therapies to be tested before substantial brain damage occurred. This technique would also allow blood contaminated with prions to be detected and removed from the blood supply.
Both teams are now working to validate their methods using larger samples sizes.
―by Anita Ramanathan
New method accurately detects prions in blood
A sensitive blood test accurately detected variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. The method could be used to diagnose prion diseases and prevent disease transmission.
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I gave three gallons in the day, but I've got too many health issues these days...
LTC Stephen F.
At first glance I though you posted that you "gave three gallons in one day" and the I realized you gave 3 gallons [back] in the day LCDR Rabbi Jaron Matlow :-)
I hope you will never require any blood donations yourself.
I hope you will never require any blood donations yourself.
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Suspended Profile
Thanks, and you too, LTC Stephen F.. I could have typed that more clearly, but that was over about 20 years...
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LTC Stephen F.
I am sorry to learn that you too SPC Margaret Higgins are also not allowed to donate blood on the basis of the medications you take.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. CPL Dave Hoover SGT Mark Halmrast SrA Christopher Wright
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. CPL Dave Hoover SGT Mark Halmrast SrA Christopher Wright
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LTC Stephen F.
SPC Margaret Higgins, I hope that if enough us realize that we can't donate blood because there are no blood tests which confirm that we have or do not have Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD) antibodies or the disease, that Congress will take appropriate action and assign a high enough priority with appropriate funding levels to develop the needed blood tests.
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SPC Margaret Higgins
I agree, LTC Stephen F. It depends, of course, on what priority Congress places on these blood tests. And on whether Congress really 'Gets' how much these veterans want to give blood.
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Actually stationed in Berlin GE Jan 1990-1993. To my knowledge also blocked from donating, as up to 1990 is restricted. So an update to your 1980's stationed in Germany should be updated to include 1990.
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PFC Kailana Alaniz
Oh and for a decade after desert storm Jan-May 1991, there was a 10 year block for sand flee eggs being in the blood. Though too my knowledge that no longer applies.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you for responding in detail PFC Kailana Alaniz and letting us know that you were not able to donate blood based on the fact that you were station in Berlin from 1990 to 1993. vCJD restriction is still permanent. {There is a potential for hope based on a couple promising studies.]
Thanks for sharing the fact that "after desert storm Jan-May 1991, there was a 10 year block for sand flee eggs being in the blood."
1. According to the Red Cross current restrictions for blood donations based on vCJD [human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)]
"From 1980 through 1990 - Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland), or Germany
From 1980 through 1996 - Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece.
You spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 5 years or more from January 1, 1980, to present, in any combination of country(ies) in Europe, including
in the UK from 1980 through 1996 as listed above"
2. Below is the background:
Thanks to SFC William Squires for alerting me that "there is progress in the development of methods to detect misfolded proteins in the bloodstream" I did research and found the following at an NIH site.
As this article informs us there has been progress in control groups testing of "developed blood tests to detect prion." The article states that there are plans to "validate their methods using larger samples sizes."
Hopefully this process will be successful to detect whether or not we have been infected by Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD); "Mad Cow Disease."
"Prion diseases are a group of rare, fatal brain diseases that affect animals and humans. They are caused by normally harmless proteins that become abnormal and form clumps in the brain. One form, called variant CJD (vCJD), is associated with eating meat from cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as “mad cow” disease.
People may have vCJD for years before symptoms—such as depression, hallucinations, moving difficulties, and dementia—appear. These “silent” carriers have small amounts of prions in their bloodstreams and can transmit the disease to others via blood transfusions. The only current method to diagnose vCJD is to perform a biopsy or a postmortem analysis of brain tissue. Thus, a noninvasive test to detect prions in blood is a medical priority.
Two research groups recently developed blood tests to detect prions. The results appeared in a pair of papers published on December 21, 2016, in Science Translational Medicine. One of the groups, led by Dr. Claudio Soto of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
Prions are scarce in the bloodstream and difficult to measure. Both teams developed methods to amplify the prions in blood samples using a technique called protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). PMCA relies on the characteristic nature of prions to cause certain healthy proteins to clump abnormally and convert into prions.
Soto’s group first combined healthy proteins with known concentrations of infectious vCJD prions. They intermittently agitated these mixtures with sound waves. The agitation helped break the prions into smaller chunks. This increased the number of prions that could then convert healthy proteins into prions. Using this method, the scientists were able to detect more than a billion-fold dilution of prions using an anti-prion antibody.
The scientists next tested whether the technique could be used to detect prions in blood samples from 14 people with vCJD and 153 controls. The controls included healthy people as well as people with different neurological or neurodegenerative disorders, including sporadic CJD, the most common form of CJD. The assay flagged all the vCJD samples correctly.
In the second paper, a French research group described a similar approach testing a blinded panel of blood samples. That team identified 18 vCJD patients in a group of 256 samples.
“Our findings, which need to be confirmed in further studies, suggest that our method of detection could be useful for the noninvasive diagnosis of this disease in pre-symptomatic individuals,” Soto says. Early diagnosis would allow potential therapies to be tested before substantial brain damage occurred. This technique would also allow blood contaminated with prions to be detected and removed from the blood supply.
Both teams are now working to validate their methods using larger samples sizes.
―by Anita Ramanathan
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-method-accurately-detects-prions-blood
FYI Debbie Pomeroy Cloud Kathlean KeeslerSGT Tim Fridley (Join to see) Michael Horne SSG David Andrews SGT Mark Halmrast CW5 Jack Cardwell Cynthia CroftSPC Gary Welch SGT Rick Colburn SMSgt Tom Burns SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson SPC Paul C. SFC Stephen Lucas MSgt Dale Johnson Capt (Join to see) CWO3 Randy Weston Alan K.
Thanks for sharing the fact that "after desert storm Jan-May 1991, there was a 10 year block for sand flee eggs being in the blood."
1. According to the Red Cross current restrictions for blood donations based on vCJD [human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)]
"From 1980 through 1990 - Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland), or Germany
From 1980 through 1996 - Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece.
You spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 5 years or more from January 1, 1980, to present, in any combination of country(ies) in Europe, including
in the UK from 1980 through 1996 as listed above"
2. Below is the background:
Thanks to SFC William Squires for alerting me that "there is progress in the development of methods to detect misfolded proteins in the bloodstream" I did research and found the following at an NIH site.
As this article informs us there has been progress in control groups testing of "developed blood tests to detect prion." The article states that there are plans to "validate their methods using larger samples sizes."
Hopefully this process will be successful to detect whether or not we have been infected by Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD); "Mad Cow Disease."
"Prion diseases are a group of rare, fatal brain diseases that affect animals and humans. They are caused by normally harmless proteins that become abnormal and form clumps in the brain. One form, called variant CJD (vCJD), is associated with eating meat from cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as “mad cow” disease.
People may have vCJD for years before symptoms—such as depression, hallucinations, moving difficulties, and dementia—appear. These “silent” carriers have small amounts of prions in their bloodstreams and can transmit the disease to others via blood transfusions. The only current method to diagnose vCJD is to perform a biopsy or a postmortem analysis of brain tissue. Thus, a noninvasive test to detect prions in blood is a medical priority.
Two research groups recently developed blood tests to detect prions. The results appeared in a pair of papers published on December 21, 2016, in Science Translational Medicine. One of the groups, led by Dr. Claudio Soto of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
Prions are scarce in the bloodstream and difficult to measure. Both teams developed methods to amplify the prions in blood samples using a technique called protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). PMCA relies on the characteristic nature of prions to cause certain healthy proteins to clump abnormally and convert into prions.
Soto’s group first combined healthy proteins with known concentrations of infectious vCJD prions. They intermittently agitated these mixtures with sound waves. The agitation helped break the prions into smaller chunks. This increased the number of prions that could then convert healthy proteins into prions. Using this method, the scientists were able to detect more than a billion-fold dilution of prions using an anti-prion antibody.
The scientists next tested whether the technique could be used to detect prions in blood samples from 14 people with vCJD and 153 controls. The controls included healthy people as well as people with different neurological or neurodegenerative disorders, including sporadic CJD, the most common form of CJD. The assay flagged all the vCJD samples correctly.
In the second paper, a French research group described a similar approach testing a blinded panel of blood samples. That team identified 18 vCJD patients in a group of 256 samples.
“Our findings, which need to be confirmed in further studies, suggest that our method of detection could be useful for the noninvasive diagnosis of this disease in pre-symptomatic individuals,” Soto says. Early diagnosis would allow potential therapies to be tested before substantial brain damage occurred. This technique would also allow blood contaminated with prions to be detected and removed from the blood supply.
Both teams are now working to validate their methods using larger samples sizes.
―by Anita Ramanathan
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-method-accurately-detects-prions-blood
FYI Debbie Pomeroy Cloud Kathlean KeeslerSGT Tim Fridley (Join to see) Michael Horne SSG David Andrews SGT Mark Halmrast CW5 Jack Cardwell Cynthia CroftSPC Gary Welch SGT Rick Colburn SMSgt Tom Burns SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson SPC Paul C. SFC Stephen Lucas MSgt Dale Johnson Capt (Join to see) CWO3 Randy Weston Alan K.
New method accurately detects prions in blood
A sensitive blood test accurately detected variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. The method could be used to diagnose prion diseases and prevent disease transmission.
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LTC Stephen F.
FYI my friend PFC Kailana Alaniz it appears the rules for donating blood have changed. Only those living or being stationed in the British Isles, of France or Ireland for 5 or more years are restricted based on living or being stationed in Europe.
Based on the American Red Cross from June 30, 2021
https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements/eligibility-criteria-alphabetical/eligibility-reference-material.html
It seems that being stationed or being a dependent in Germany, Turkey and other duty stations in Europe [outside of the Great Britain, Ireland and France [for 5 years or more] has been lifted from the prohibition for donating blood lists.
At this time, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) donor eligibility rules related to vCJD are as follows:
You are not eligible to donate if
From January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1996, you spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 3 months or more, in any country in the United Kingdom (UK),
Channel Islands England Falkland Islands Gibraltar Isle of Man Northern Ireland Scotland Wales
From January 1, 1980, to present, you had a blood transfusion in any of the countries listed below:
France Ireland Channel Islands England Falkland Islands Gibraltar Isle of Man Northern Ireland Scotland Wales
You spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 5 years or more from January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2001, in France or Ireland.
Based on the American Red Cross from June 30, 2021
https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements/eligibility-criteria-alphabetical/eligibility-reference-material.html
It seems that being stationed or being a dependent in Germany, Turkey and other duty stations in Europe [outside of the Great Britain, Ireland and France [for 5 years or more] has been lifted from the prohibition for donating blood lists.
At this time, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) donor eligibility rules related to vCJD are as follows:
You are not eligible to donate if
From January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1996, you spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 3 months or more, in any country in the United Kingdom (UK),
Channel Islands England Falkland Islands Gibraltar Isle of Man Northern Ireland Scotland Wales
From January 1, 1980, to present, you had a blood transfusion in any of the countries listed below:
France Ireland Channel Islands England Falkland Islands Gibraltar Isle of Man Northern Ireland Scotland Wales
You spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 5 years or more from January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2001, in France or Ireland.
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There is some positive news. Although the technology is still young, there is progress in the development of methods to detect misfolded proteins in the bloodstream. If the technique can be refined to an acceptable success rate and adequately automated, thus reducing costs, then perhaps Soldiers like us can give blood in a few years
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you for responding 1SG (Join to see) and making us aware that there has been progress in the development of methods to detect misfolded proteins [prions] in the bloodstream.
It would be wonderful if a test was developed similar to western blot blood tests to determine whether or not we are infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD).
I found a link at NIH and thanks for the heads up.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-method-accurately-detects-prions-blood
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Gabriel F.
It would be wonderful if a test was developed similar to western blot blood tests to determine whether or not we are infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD).
I found a link at NIH and thanks for the heads up.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-method-accurately-detects-prions-blood
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Gabriel F.
New method accurately detects prions in blood
A sensitive blood test accurately detected variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. The method could be used to diagnose prion diseases and prevent disease transmission.
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I submitted blood at basic training and after analysis I was informed that I couldn't donate. I was never given a reason why. I only have one small tatoo of the libra scales on my right forearm. They took blood from me stating that the tatoo wasn't a problem. This is a big mystery in the back of my head to this day.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you for responding SPC Jovani Daviu that after you enlisted and were inducted into basic combat training you were told you could not donate blood.
It is interesting that:
1. they said the tattoo was not an issue
2. They would not tell you why you could not donate blood.
I would hope the reason would be in your medical records.
Have you gotten a second opinion or confirmation from the Red Cross?
I noticed that you were trained as a 12w Carpentry and Masonry Specialist. I expect you went to BCT at Fort Leonard Wood. I went through BCT from November 1974 into January 1975 and then 12B Combat Engineering AIT from January to March 1975.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Gabriel F. Cpl Scott McCarroll
It is interesting that:
1. they said the tattoo was not an issue
2. They would not tell you why you could not donate blood.
I would hope the reason would be in your medical records.
Have you gotten a second opinion or confirmation from the Red Cross?
I noticed that you were trained as a 12w Carpentry and Masonry Specialist. I expect you went to BCT at Fort Leonard Wood. I went through BCT from November 1974 into January 1975 and then 12B Combat Engineering AIT from January to March 1975.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Gabriel F. Cpl Scott McCarroll
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SPC Jovani Daviu
Nothing in my medical records LTC. I have never tried to donate blood again since so no second opinion from the Red Cross. I attended BCT at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma sir.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
After my wife had her first military hospital physical back in 1971 she was told she could never donate blood because of an extra antigen in her blood. They gave her a card that said this that she still carries to this day.
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Cpl Scott McCarroll
SPC Jovani Daviu, if you really want to know why you can't donate blood, you can go to a Red Cross Blood drive in your area, go in as if you were never had someone tell you that you can't donate. I found out that I had Hep-C from the Red Cross after donating blood they sent me a letter stating not only couldn't that I couldn't donate I was told why. FYI I went through the Havoni treatment and I am cured
, Though I can't donate blood, and cannot be an organ donor.
, Though I can't donate blood, and cannot be an organ donor.
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HIV/AIDs positive is indefinite deferral per Armed Services Blood Program SOP.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you for responding SGT (Join to see) per current Red Cross rules for blood donations"
"You are at risk for getting infected if you:
are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, in the last 12 months
have ever taken money, drugs or other payment for sex
have had sexual contact in the past 12 months with anyone described above
You should not give blood if you have any of the following conditions that can be signs or symptoms of HIV/AIDS:
Fever
Enlarged lymph glands
Sore throat
Rash"
As many of us aware the political support and vast resources of those infected or at risk of HIV, the blood test for HIV is something that can be performed on the living.
On the other hand, those potentially infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD) cannot have ablood test to rule out that disease. Only via autopsy can Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD) be ruled out.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Gabriel F. Cpl Scott McCarroll
"You are at risk for getting infected if you:
are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, in the last 12 months
have ever taken money, drugs or other payment for sex
have had sexual contact in the past 12 months with anyone described above
You should not give blood if you have any of the following conditions that can be signs or symptoms of HIV/AIDS:
Fever
Enlarged lymph glands
Sore throat
Rash"
As many of us aware the political support and vast resources of those infected or at risk of HIV, the blood test for HIV is something that can be performed on the living.
On the other hand, those potentially infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD) cannot have ablood test to rule out that disease. Only via autopsy can Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD) be ruled out.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Gabriel F. Cpl Scott McCarroll
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I just checked the UK blood donation restrictions and there is no restriction for bovine spongiform exposure. It seems either they have concluded the risk is minimal or they have developed a way to screen out the blood of anybody infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD).
Whereas in this country "Rules governing who can donate blood in the United States have recently changed. But anyone who spent more than three months in the UK between 1980 and 1996 is still prohibited from donating."
"So who can give blood?
The majority of the British population is able to donate blood, says the NHS [National Health Service]. As long as the donor is fit and healthy, weighs over 7st 12lb (50kg) and is between 17 and 66, they are typically allowed to give blood. Male donors are allowed to donate about 470ml (just under a pint) every three months and women at four month intervals.
And who can't?
There are several exceptions. As well as those with existing medical conditions, the following people may not be allowed to donate blood:
1. Anyone who has travelled to certain countries outside of the UK within the past six months
2. Anyone who has had a tattoo, piercing or acupuncture in the past four months
3. Men who have had sex with men (with or without a condom) in the last three months
4. Anyone who has had sex with a sex worker in the last year
5. Anyone who has sex with someone who has been sexually active in parts of the world where Aids/HIV is very common in the last year
6. Anyone on antibiotics
7. Pregnant women and anyone receiving IVF treatment
8. Anyone who has been to the dentist in the last week"
http://www.theweek.co.uk/63895/giving-blood-who-is-and-who-isnt-allowed-to-donate
FYI LTC Bill Koski CW5 (Join to see) MSG Brad Sand SGM Steve Wettstein SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 John Miller SP5 Robert Ruck SPC (Join to see) PO3 Steven Sherrill SN Greg Wright SCPO Morris Ramsey Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. SSG Franklin Briant SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson
Whereas in this country "Rules governing who can donate blood in the United States have recently changed. But anyone who spent more than three months in the UK between 1980 and 1996 is still prohibited from donating."
"So who can give blood?
The majority of the British population is able to donate blood, says the NHS [National Health Service]. As long as the donor is fit and healthy, weighs over 7st 12lb (50kg) and is between 17 and 66, they are typically allowed to give blood. Male donors are allowed to donate about 470ml (just under a pint) every three months and women at four month intervals.
And who can't?
There are several exceptions. As well as those with existing medical conditions, the following people may not be allowed to donate blood:
1. Anyone who has travelled to certain countries outside of the UK within the past six months
2. Anyone who has had a tattoo, piercing or acupuncture in the past four months
3. Men who have had sex with men (with or without a condom) in the last three months
4. Anyone who has had sex with a sex worker in the last year
5. Anyone who has sex with someone who has been sexually active in parts of the world where Aids/HIV is very common in the last year
6. Anyone on antibiotics
7. Pregnant women and anyone receiving IVF treatment
8. Anyone who has been to the dentist in the last week"
http://www.theweek.co.uk/63895/giving-blood-who-is-and-who-isnt-allowed-to-donate
FYI LTC Bill Koski CW5 (Join to see) MSG Brad Sand SGM Steve Wettstein SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 John Miller SP5 Robert Ruck SPC (Join to see) PO3 Steven Sherrill SN Greg Wright SCPO Morris Ramsey Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. SSG Franklin Briant SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson
Blood donation: who is and isn’t allowed to give?
The NHS warns that blood donation levels are worrying low, but are their donor restrictions too extensive?
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LTC Stephen F.
Thanks for sharing the sad news that you also cannot donate blood SGT Jim Arnold because you may have been exposed to bovine spongiform while you were stationed in Germany from 1987 to 1991.'
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. CPL Dave Hoover SGT Mark Halmrast SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. CPL Dave Hoover SGT Mark Halmrast SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright
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