Immunolabelling of non-phosphorylated neurofilament indicates damage of spinal cord axons in TSE-infected goats

The aim of the present study was to elucidate potential changes in the immunoreactivity of various immunohistochemical markers, in particular in regions of the sympathetic infection route, which have been demonstrated to represent key locations for the spread of the BSE agent ( Kaatz and others 2012 ), including the coeliac and mesenteric ganglion complex (CMGC) and the spinal cord. [...]the authors sought to characterise ultrastructural changes in neurons of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG). Genotype Animal ID Animal consecutive number Sex Postmortem examination (months post infection) Clinical status* PrPSc (IHC)[dagger] SCG PrPSc (IHC)[dagger] CMGC PrPSc (IHC)[dagger] Spinal cord IRQ/IRQ ZG 26 1 m 6 - n.d. - - ZG 32 2 m 6 - - - - ZG 35 3 m 6 - - - - ZG 19 4 m 12 - - - - ZG 24 5 m 12 - - - - ZG 30 6 m 12 - n.d. - - ZG 08 7 m 12 - - - - ZG 13 8 m 24 - - - - ZG 01 9 f 24 +++ n.d. + + ZG 33 10 m 24 + + + + ZG 34 11 f 25 +++ n.d. + + ZG38 12 m 25 +++ + n.d. + ZG 39 13 m 25 - n.d. - - ZG 18 14 f 46 - n.d. - - IQQ/IRQ ZG 04 15 m 6 - - - - ZG 06 16 f 6 - n.d. - - ZG 36 17 m 6 - - - - ZG 21 18 m 9 - - - - ZG 22 19 m 12 - - - - ZG 31 20 m 12 - - - - ZG 28 21 m 33 +++ + n.d. + ZG 05 22 f 34 ++ n.d. + + ZG 12 23 f 34 - n.d. - - ZG 20 24 f 36 ++ n.d. + + IRK/IRQ ZG 16 25 m 6 - - - - ZG 23 26 m 6 - n.d. - - ZG 37 27 m 6 - - - n.d. ZG 02 28 m 12 - - - - ZG 09 29 m 12 - - - n.d. ZG 10 30 m 24 - - - - ZG 15 31 f 36 - n.d. - - ZG 25 32 f 44 - n.d. - - ZG 11 33 f 45 - - - - Controls (IRQ/IRQ) Kz-ISG 1 34 m 12 - - - - Kz-ISG 2 35 m 12 - - - - Horizontal controls (different genotypes) ZG 27 (IRQ/IRQ) 36 m 14 - - - - ZG 14 (IRQ/IRQ) 37 m 31 - - - - ZG 40 (IQQ/IRQ) 38 m 53 - - - - Goat kids (different genotypes) ZG 42 (IQQ/IRQ) 39 - 27[double dagger] - n.d.\n Based on the observation of abnormal n-NF immunoreactivity of axons in BSE-positive goats, the authors sought to elucidate whether this represents a phenomenon unique to goat BSE or is a common finding in the spinal cord during other TSEs and in different species, respectively. [...]n-NF immunohistochemistry was performed on archived paraffin-embedded spinal cord samples of seven BSE-positive and BSE-negative cattle and seven scrapie-positive and scrapie-negative goats.