BK and JC viruses in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: prevalent and persistent BK viruria, sequence stability of the viral regulatory regions, and nondetectable viremia.
A role for polyomaviruses in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been suggested. BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV) were demonstrated in single urine specimens from 7 (16%) of 44 and 5 (11%) of 44 patients with SLE and 0/88 and 18 (21%) of 88 matched healthy controls, respectively. During a 1-year follow-up study, episodes of polyomaviruria were detected in 16 (80%) of 20 patients, BKV in 13, and JCV in 3 patients. A group of 12 (60%) of 20 patients demonstrated persistent or recurrent polyomaviruria, BKV viruria (n=9), or JCV viruria (n=3) in 180 (70%) of 256 specimens. Polyomaviruria was not significantly associated with immunosuppressive therapy. The BKV and JCV isolates revealed predominantly stable archetypal regulatory regions over 3 years, indicating viral persistence rather than reinfection as a cause for urinary shedding. The demonstration of nondetectable viremia and stable archetypal BKV and JCV noncoding control regions during persistent viruria argue against the urinary tract as a focus for the creation of rearranged regulatory region variants.
Sundsfjord
A
A
Department of Medical Microbiology, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromso, N-9037 Norway. arnfinns@fagmed.uit.no
Osei
A
A
Rosenqvist
H
H
Van Ghelue
M
M
Silsand
Y
Y
Haga
H J
HJ
Rekvig
O P
OP
Moens
U
U
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001739:BK Virus / Q000235:genetics; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007577:JC Virus / Q000235:genetics; D007668:Kidney / Q000821:virology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D015995:Prevalence; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D014766:Viremia; D017201:Virus Shedding
D004279:DNA, Viral