We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
Sekisui Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Nasal Test Developed to Diagnose Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 19 Aug 2014
A nasal brush test has been developed that can rapidly and accurately diagnose Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), an incurable and ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder.

Definite diagnosis of sporadic CJD in living patients remains a challenge as up to now, a definitive CJD diagnosis requires testing brain tissue obtained after death or by biopsy in living patients.

An international team of scientists led by those at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Bethesda, MD, USA) studied 31 nasal samples from patients with CJD and 43 nasal samples from patients who had other neurologic diseases or no neurologic disease at all. More...
They obtained olfactory mucosa samples by using a nasal tampon, a rigid fiberoptic rhinoscope, enveloped with a disposable sheath, the Slide-On EndoSheath System (Medtronic Xomed; Minneapolis, MN, USA) and a sterile, disposable brush was then inserted alongside the fibroscope, gently rolled on the mucosal surface and withdrawn, and processed.

An in vitro PrPCJD amplification technology, designated real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), has been shown to have considerable promise as a highly specific diagnostic test for sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Testing with RT-QuIC correctly identified 30 of the 31 CJD patients (97% sensitivity) and correctly showed negative results for all 43 of the non-CJD patients (100% specificity). By comparison, tests using cerebral spinal fluid which is currently used to detect sporadic CJD were 77% sensitive and 100% specific, and the results took twice as long to obtain.

Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said, “This exciting advance, the culmination of decades of studies on prion diseases, markedly improves on available diagnostic tests for CJD that are less reliable, more difficult for patients to tolerate, and require more time to obtain results. With additional validation, this test has potential for use in clinical and agricultural settings.” The study was published on August 7, 2014, in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

Related Links:

US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Medtronic Xomed



Platinum Member
Automated Coagulation Analyzer
Hemolumi H6
Gold Member
Quantitative POC Immunoassay Analyzer
EASY READER+
Urine Analyzer
respons® UDS100
Automated Urinalysis Solution
UN-9000
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image Credit: 123RF

Screening After Pneumococcal Disease May Reveal Undiagnosed Blood Cancer or Immune Disorders

Severe pneumococcal disease requiring hospitalization often presents as pneumonia, particularly in older adults and people with cancer or compromised immune function. Because M protein testing and antibody... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: The laser-based photoacoustic spectroscopy setup consists of a Mid-IR laser equipped with three QCL modules covering wavelengths from 5.6 μm to 12.9 μm, two silver coated mirrors (SCM), a dichroic mirror (DM) with a transmittance of 90%, a thermal power sensor head (PM) to monitor the output laser power, a mechanical chopper (MC) for frequency modulation and a CEPAS-detector with a self-designed swab holder (SH). (Credit: Graunke, T., Scholz, T., Pieniak, M. et al. Scientific Reports (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-68298-9)

Laser-Based Swab Analysis Shows Promise for Detecting Disease-Linked Odor Patterns

Disease-related changes in volatile organic compounds can alter body odor, producing measurable patterns in exhaled breath and bodily fluids. Current analytical methods can be complex, time-consuming,... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image

Collaboration Combines AI Cognitive Assessment and RNA Blood Testing for Earlier Alzheimer’s Detection

Alzheimer’s disease is often identified only after substantial neurodegeneration, partly because current diagnostic pathways are fragmented and difficult to scale. As treatment shifts toward earlier intervention,... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2026 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.