KI and WU Polyomavirus in Respiratory Samples of SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients

Abstract

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been declared a global pandemic. Our goal was to determine whether co-infections with respiratory polyomaviruses, such as Karolinska Institutet polyomavirus (KIPyV) and Washington University polyomavirus (WUPyV) occur in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. Oropharyngeal swabs from 150 individuals, 112 symptomatic COVID-19 patients and 38 healthcare workers not infected by SARS-CoV-2, were collected from March 2020 through May 2020 and tested for KIPyV and WUPyV DNA presence. Of the 112 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 27 (24.1%) were co-infected with KIPyV, 5 (4.5%) were positive for WUPyV, and 3 (2.7%) were infected simultaneously by KIPyV and WUPyV. Neither KIPyV nor WUPyV DNA was detected in samples of healthcare workers. Significant correlations were found in patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 and KIPyV (p < 0.05) and between SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold values and KIPyV, WUPyV and KIPyV and WUPyV concurrently detected (p < 0.05). These results suggest that KIPyV and WUPyV may behave as opportunistic respiratory pathogens. Additional investigations are needed to understand the epidemiology and the prevalence of respiratory polyomavirus in COVID-19 patients and whether KIPyV and WUPyV could potentially drive viral interference or influence disease outcomes by upregulating SARS-CoV-2 replicative potential.

KI and WU Polyomaviruses: Seroprevalence Study and DNA Prevalence in SARS-CoV-2 RNA Positive and Negative Respiratory Samples

“…Table 3 summarizes the data. Our prevalence data revealed markedly lower KIPyV and WUPyV positivity in SARS-CoV-2-positive patients than published by Prezioso et al [20]. Both KI and WU polyomaviruses have rarely or not been identified in respiratory samples from immunocompetent adults; they have mainly been described in respiratory samples from immunocompetent and immunocompromised children, as well as immunocompromised adults [1,24,[27][28][29][30].…”

“…WUPyV DNA positivity was observed in one specimen of a SARS-CoV-2-positive adult (1/680; 0.15%). Neither KIPyV nor WUPyV DNA positivity was detected in samples from SARS-CoV-2-negative patients (0/38) in the other study [20] investigating SARS-CoV-2 and polyomavirus co-infection. At the same time, we found difference compared with Prezioso et al [20]: our KIPyV DNA prevalence was significantly lower in samples from SARS-CoV-2-positive adult patients (2/478 vs. 27/122; Fisher's exact test, p = 0.0001), and WUPyV positivity showed significant difference in SARS-CoV-2-positive adult patients (1/478 vs. 5/112; Fisher's exact test, p = 0.0012).…”

“…When analyzing our previous and present data, there was no difference for WUPyV positivity among 2.5-12.1-year-old children (6/146 vs. 1/138; Fisher's exact test, p = 0.1214), and there was no difference for KIPyV positivity (2/146 vs. 0/138; Fisher's exact test, p = 0.4986). Prezioso et al [20] did not study samples from children.…”

“…Little is known about the prevalence of WU and KI polyomaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. So far, only Prezioso and colleagues [20] have published data: 24.1% KIPyV and 4.5% WUPyV co-infection in respiratory samples from patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.…”

Molecular diagnostics of infectious disease: Detection and characterization of microbial agents in cytology samples

“…Additionally, only a third of patients with BK viruria actually develop viremia or BKVAN 141 . Kalorinska Institute Polyomavirus (KI), Washington University Polyomavirus (WU) and Merkel cell polyoma (MCP) are also clinically relevant polyomaviruses for humans KI and WU were identified in respiratory secretions from symptomatic patients in 2007, 142 while Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCP) was isolated in 2008. Approximately 80% Merkel cell carcinoma cases have MCP integrated into the host genome 143 .…”