title: Role of urinary cytology in detecting human polyoma bk virus in kidney transplant recipients. A preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report data on the evaluation of the efficacy of urine cytology in detecting BK virus (BKV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Papanicolaou-stained cytospin preparations of randomly collected urine samples from 8 renal transplant (RTR) patients (5 males, 3 females, age: 23-63 years) who previously tested positive for BKV by PCR in urine or blood or both were studied. Urine sediment from 3 of the patients was processed for ultrastructural examination (EM). Renal biopsies before and after BKV detection were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The interval between renal transplant and urine cytology ranged between 2 and 5 years. Urine from females was difficult to assess due to vaginal contamination. In 2 of the 5 urine specimens from male recipients BKV-infected decoy cells were identified. Viral particles suggestive of BKV were identified on EM in 2 of the 3 specimens studied. Kidney biopsies showed morphologic features suggestive of BKV infection in 2 cases, 1 each detected on cytology and EM, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screening for the presence of decoy cells in urine provides a simple sensitive means for the diagnosis of BKV nephropathy in RTR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Hamad Al-Essa Kidney Transplant Centre, Kuwait. kkapila@hsc.edu.kw
authors.forename: Kusum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kapila
authors.forename: Mangalathillom R N
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Nampoory
authors.forename: Kaivilayil V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Johny
authors.forename: Alexander S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Pacsa
authors.forename: Bushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Al-Ayadhy
authors.forename: Jessy R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mathew
authors.forename: Madhavan P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Medhat A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Halim
authors.forename: Sara S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Issam M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Francis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001739:BK Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000652:urine*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000652:urine*