CJD

[Laura-Walen]

    
      Re: CJD
    


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Posted by CCF Neuro MD on January 20, 1998 at 12:21:42:

In Reply to: CJD posted by Laura Wallen on January 16, 1998 at 13:43:19:

: I would like to obtain any information that I can about CJD.  We went throught
  the Invitro fertalization process a year ago.  While 6 months pregnant, we
  found out that the blood plasma used to preserve our embryos was possibly
  contaminated with CJD.  There were two possible donors with contaminated
  blood.  From everything I have read, it is my understanding that there is no
  way to diagnose the disease until an autopsy is performed.  I am concerned
  that the child I have may have this disease later in life.   Is there no  
  diagnostic measure available to test for this disease?  
  Should I make my child aware of the risks when he is old enough to begin
  to understand so that he does not donate blood and possibly spread
  this disease?  Please send me any information about similar cases that
  you may know of .  I am also concerned as to whether or not to terminate
  my remaining embryo rather than risk the chance of possible contamination
  of another human being.  
==========================================================================
The situation you describe is so rare as to probably be unique and I
do not know of any other cases similar to yours.
As regards the transmission of CJD the only documented cases of transmission are
via contaminated brain or spinal fluid products, transmission via blood
or blood products has not been documented.
In the unique situation youn describe however there is no experience as to
the liklehood of transmission.
The cases of transmission involved neurosurgeons exposed during surgery
and via corneal or dural transplants etc.
The new variant CJD described in 25 people in England is possibly due to
eating meat but evidence is still at a very early stage.
There is no diagnostic measure to detect CJD before it becomes symptomatic,
an EEG is typically abnormal late in the disease course, and a CSF test
for a protein called Protein 14/3/3 is also positive but again only in
the very late stages of the  illness in a symptomatic individual.
As regards the questions of whether to tell your child not to donate blood
this would a good idea as "exposure" in this would probably fall within
the exclusion guidelines of most blood banks, ( this does not presume that
he will develop the disease ).I would advise this especially since the
issue of not donating blood is a relatively minor one in the context of the overall picture.
For further information or a consultation you might wish to contact the
Neurology Dept in University of California at San Francisco where a
faculty member recently won the Nobel Prize for his work on CJD.
  
  Thank you,
  Laura Wallen
  Speech-Language Pathologist and CONCERNED Mother