Abstract

PANIZ-MONDOLFI, Alberto. Aspectos inmunopatológicos de la infección por priones.. Gac Méd Caracas [online]. 2005, vol.113, n.3, pp.323-337. ISSN 0367-4762.

Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders such as Kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Gertssman-Stràussler-Scheinker syndrome and fatal familial insomnia. The causative agent termed prion, for proteinaceous infectious particleis an aberrant cellular protein converted to an non-constitutive form (scrapie isoform), characterized by its abnormal resistance against conventional decontamination methods, and unknown mechanism of conversion. Since 1985 prion diseases attracted special attention because of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic in the United Kingdom. The present work pretends a general and brief approach to the immunological aspects of prion diseases, such as basic considerations in dermatology.

Keywords : Prion; PrPc (constitutive isoform); PrPsc (scrapie isoform), ; Immunopatholog; . Transmissible spongiform or subacute encephalopaties.