Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in a post-COVID-19 patient: did SARS-CoV-2 accelerate the neurodegeneration?

Abstract

Background Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, fatal neurodegenerative disorder, with few months as a usual duration from onset to death. Case presentation In this case report, a patient of Sporadic CJD (sCJD) who presented one month after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The diagnosis of this case was established after confirming findings from clinical, neurophysiology, radiological, and laboratory features of this disease. Conclusion Putting in mind all the updated data on the pathogenesis of CJD and the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, we can suggest that COVID-19 can lead to accelerated pathogenesis and exaggerated manifestations of this fatal neurodegenerative disease.

SARS-CoV-2 Spike amyloid fibrils specifically and selectively accelerates amyloid fibril formation of human prion protein and the amyloid β peptide

“…During the past 3 years, several case reports of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) manifestation in parallel with COVID-19 infection or vaccination have been published (27) (28) (29) (30) (31) (32). Recently it was suggested by Stefano et al that the conversion of PrP C to PrP Sc and the subsequent mitochondrial dysfunction should be considered when addressing the etiology of long COVID-19 (33).…”