Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and inclusion body myositis: abundant disease-associated prion protein in muscle

Abstract

Pathologicalprion protein (PrP(Sc)) is the hallmark of prion diseases affecting primarily the central nervous system. Using immunohistochemistry, paraffin-embedded tissue blot, and Western blot, we demonstrated abundant PrP(Sc) in the muscle of a patient with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and inclusion body myositis. Extraneural PrP(C)-PrP(Sc) conversion in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease appears to become prominent when PrP(C) is abundantly available as substrate, as in inclusion body myositis muscle.