High incidence of JC viruria in JC-seropositive older individuals

Abstract

The prevalence of the human JC virus (JCV) in the general population at various ages was investigated. Polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect viral DNA in the urine. The results showed that the incidence of JC viruria was low in the young population, but it was high in the elderly. Hemagglutination inhibition assay was performed for JCV seroprevalence study. The results showed that the seropositive rate of JCV was lower in children than that in adults. The ratio of viruria to seropositive for JCV increased with age and reached 79.7% for those older than 70 years. The results indicated that aging immunity may correlate with JCV reactivation.

Viral infection and reactivation in autoimmune disease

“…After asymptomatic primary infection, the virus persists in a latent state, usually in the kidneys, B lymphocytes and other hematopoietic cells, tonsils, and spleen (56). Reactivation of JCV can occur in otherwise healthy individuals and leads to asymptomatic viruria (57,58). A study investigating patterns of sporadic reactivation showed that JCV infections are persistent, and that healthy persons older than age 40 years commonly shed the virus in urine (59).…”

Monoclonal antibodies and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

“…Transient JC viral shedding in urine has been demonstrated in 30,6 to more than 50% of immunologically normal individuals 7 and appears to increase with age. 8 Conversely, the virus is not detectable in the saliva or oropharyngeal washings of young healthy adults. 7 The virus has also been detected…”

Prediagnostic Circulating Antibodies to JC and BK Human Polyomaviruses and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

“…For example, JCV causes progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in AIDS patients (9), and BKV is associated with nephropathy in kidney transplant recipients (7). Reactivation of JCV and BKV infections also occurs in individuals without severe immunosuppression, with JCV and BKV detected in 37% to 47% (10)(11)(12) and 0% to 5% (11,12) of urine samples from immunocompetent individuals (10)(11)(12), respectively. However, no overt disease associated with reactivation of polyomavirus infection in immunocompetent individuals has yet been identified.…”