title: Reactivation of Polyomavirus hominis 1 (BKV) during pregnancy and the risk of mother-to-child transmission.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregnancy is associated with down-regulation of immune responses of the mother. This might lead to reactivation and vertical transmission of latent viral infections such as BK virus (BKV).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the presence of BKV in the urine of pregnant women and in cord blood at delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined urines from 52 pregnant women and 51 cord blood samples for BKV by real-time SYBR green PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BKV DNA was found in the urine of 18 (34.6%) pregnant women. No BKV DNA was detected by SYBR green PCR in the cord blood specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BKV reactivation is common during pregnancy but this is not associated with BKV in cord blood.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Virology, National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Stoletov Blvd. 44-A, Sofia 1233, Bulgaria. kalvatchev@gmail.com
authors.forename: Zlatko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kalvatchev
authors.forename: Svetoslav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slavov
authors.forename: Milkana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shtereva
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001739:BK Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D014556:Urine / Q000821:virology; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral