Quantitation of BK Virus Load in Serum for the Diagnosis of BK Virus–Associated Nephropathy in Renal Transplant Recipients

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Polyomavirus Allograft Nephropathy: Sequential Assessment of Histologic Viral Load, Tubulitis, and Graft Function Following Changes in Immunosuppression

Çelik

Shapiro

Vats

et al. 2003

“…Quantitative nucleic acid-based viral load assay of urine or blood are becoming widely used for BKV screening (15,(19)(20)(21)(22). Detectable virus in the blood is more predictive of BKVN than viruria alone.…”

Section: Laboratory Diagnosis and Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

BK Virus Infection in Transplant Recipients: An Overview and Update

Randhawa

Brennan

2006

188

152

BK virus infection after kidney transplantation has been a subject of great interest in the past decade. This article traces the discovery of BK virus and the subsequent development of our knowledge about this emerging pathogen. The pathobiology of the virus is summarized with particular reference to epidemiology, interactions with host cell receptors, cell entry, cytoplasmic trafficking and targeting of the viral genome to the nucleus. This is followed by a discussion of clinical features, laboratory monitoring and therapeutic strategies. Finally, we present potential cellular mechanisms that explain the basis of virus-mediated damage to the human kidney.

“…The diagnostic methodology used for BKVN is well established, using the combination of urine cytological examination, presence of BKV DNA in blood/urine and typical renal histological finding of BKVN (3)(4)(5)(6). However, the risk factors that influence the development of BKVN and pathogenesis of this disease in immunosuppressed renal transplant recipients remain unclear (7,8).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

BK Virus‐Specific Antibodies and BKV DNA in Renal Transplant Recipients with BKV Nephritis

Hariharan

Cohen

Vasudev

et al. 2005

We evaluated twenty renal transplant subjects at various stages of BKV nephritis (BKVN) for BKV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies using ELISA technique and BKV-DNA using PCR. They were divided as early onset (n = 7), stabilizing (n = 3), resolved (n = 8) and late onset (n = 2) BKVN. BKV-specific antibodies and BKV-DNA were simultaneously determined. The mean BKV-specific IgG level in early onset and stabilizing BKVN were 64 and 39 EIA units, and were significantly lower than 138 EIA units seen in resolved BKVN, P = 0.007, P = 0.008. The mean BKV-specific IgM levels in stabilizing BKVN was higher than resolved BKVN (130 vs 51 EIA units), P = 0.006. Mean plasma BKV loads for each group were 955 925, 5642 and 42 copies/mL of plasma, respectively. Prospective study in six BKVN cases revealed mean IgG, IgM levels and BKV-DNA at the time of diagnosis of BKVN as 39, 110 EIA units and 586 758 copies/mL of plasma, respectively. After a mean period of 5.2 months, IgG level increased to 120 EIA units (p = 0.0058) and had no detectable viral copies in circulation.Recovery from BKVN and elimination of BKV is associated with the development of BKV-specific IgG antibodies and this provides insight into the role of humoral immunity to BKV in the pathogenesis of BKVN.