COMPARATIVE NEUROPATHOLOGY OF KURU WITH THE NEW VARIANT OF CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB-DISEASE - EVIDENCE FOR STRAIN OF AGENT PREDOMINATING OVER GENOTYPE OF HOST

The three major influences on the phenotype of the transmissible spong iform encephalopathies are believed to be strain of agent, route of in fection and host genotype, We have compared the pathologic profiles an d genotypes of the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and kuru. The comparison reveals that there are distinct lesional differe nces particularly in the prion protein (PrP) load and distribution as seen by immunohistochemistry. The clinico-pathologic phenotypes and th e genotypes of these two diseases are sufficiently different to sugges t that the strain of agent may play a greater role than any presumptiv e common route of peripherally acquired infection.