Prevalence of human polyoma virus (BK virus and JC virus) infection in patients with chronic renal disease.
BACKGROUND
Polyoma virus infection in renal transplant patients is sometimes critical in graft survival. But, to date, polyoma virus infection or reactivation has not been checked before renal transplantation. The prevalence of polyoma viruses (BK virus and JC virus) was investigated in 45 patients with renal disease who were future candidates as renal graft recipients.


METHODS
Because these viruses are excreted in urine, the urine of these 45 patients was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The urine of 37 age-matched normal subjects (control group) was also investigated.


RESULTS
In the control group, 13.5% of the normal subjects were positive for BK virus and 24.3% were positive for JC virus. In the patients with renal disease, 33.3% were positive for BK virus and 33.3% were positive for JC virus; the prevalence of BK virus infection was significantly higher than that in the normal subjects. Patients with renal disease with corticosteroid therapy revealed an especially high prevalence of BK virus infection (55.6%), indicating the possibility of viral reactivation by corticosteroid therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
More attention should be paid to polyoma virus infection in candidates for renal transplantation with a previous therapeutic history of corticosteroid administration.
Department of Nephrology, Osaka Prefectural General Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
Tetsuya
T
Kaneko
Toshiki
T
Moriyama
Yoshiharu
Y
Tsubakihara
Masaru
M
Horio
Enyu
E
Imai
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001739:BK Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007577:JC Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D004279:DNA, Viral