Characteristic distribution and molecular properties of normal cellular prion protein in human endocrine and exocrine tissues

Prion disease is an infectious and fatal neurodegenerative disease. Human prion disease autopsy studies have revealed abnormal prion protein (PrP(Sc)) deposits in the central nervous system and systemic organs. In deer, chronic wasting disease has also become a global problem, with PrP(Sc) in saliva and feces. Therefore, understanding normal cellular prion proteins (PrP(c)) characteristics in human systemic organs is important since they could be a PrP(Sc) source. This study used western blotting and immunohistochemistry to investigate endocrine and exocrine tissues, such as the human pituitary, adrenal, submandibular glands and the pancreas. All tissues had 30–40 kDa PrP signals, which is a slightly higher molecular weight than normal brain tissue. Most cytoplasmic PrP-positive adenohypophyseal cells were immunopositive for nuclear pituitary-specific positive transcription factor 1. The adrenal medulla and islet cells of the pancreas were PrP-positive and colocalized with chromogranin A. The duct epithelium in the submandibular gland and pancreas were immunopositive for PrP. This study reports the characteristic molecular properties and detailed tissue localization of PrP(c) in endocrine and exocrine tissues, which is important for infection control and diagnosis.