title: BK virus infection in patients with AIDS.
abstract: Antibodies to the human papovavirus BK (BKV) were determined in a group of 25 homo- and bisexual males with AIDS, 24 men with AIDS-related complex (ARC) and 18 healthy male homosexual controls from Copenhagen. The AIDS patients had a significantly lower prevalence and level of anti-BKV antibodies tested by IgG-ELISA, hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization tests than the ARC patients. About half of the anti-BKV antibody positive AIDS patients demonstrated primary infections or reactivations but without specific IgM production. The titers were low compared to primary infections in children. At least 2 of the patients lost their serological markers in the late phase of the disease. It is therefore possible that the low prevalence of BKV infection in AIDS patients is caused by loss of serological markers even if the level of total IgG is normal or increased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Flaegstad
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Permin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Husebekk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Husby
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Traavik
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001739:BK Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G