title: KI polyomavirus detected in respiratory tract specimens from patients in St. Louis, Missouri.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have reported the presence of KI polyomavirus (KIPyV) and WU polyomavirus (WUPyV) in respiratory secretions of young patients. So far, evidence has not supported a link between infections with either virus and respiratory tract disease; however, there has not been a large comparison of KIPyV-infected patients to age-matched patient groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study comparing clinical aspects of KIPyV-positive patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-positive, WUPyV-positive, and respiratory-virus negative patients. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, 2599 respiratory samples from patients ranging from 1 day to 88 years of age were tested for KIPyV. Electronic medical records were reviewed for 65 cases, for a comparison group consisting of 195 patients negative for common respiratory viruses, and for 56 WUPyV-positive patients drawn from the same population. Twelve patients testing positive for KIPyV as the sole pathogen were matched to 36 RSV-positive patients and clinical features of both groups were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-two (2.8%) respiratory samples were positive for KIPyV. Another virus was detected in 71% of the KIPyV-positive samples. Analysis showed no statistically significant differences in clinical manifestations between KIPyV-positive patients and patients negative for common respiratory viruses, however, clinical characteristics of KIPyV-positive patients were less severe than those of patients positive for RSV. KIPyVpositive patients >or=3 years of age were usually immunocompromised in contrast to the younger children with KIPyV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study did not demonstrate a link between KIPyV infection and symptomatic respiratory disease. Patients positive for KIPyV exhibited less severe clinical symptoms than patients positive for RSV.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. dhormozdi@gmail.com
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Hormozdi
authors: Max Q
authors: MQ
authors: Arens
authors: Binh-Minh
authors: BM
authors: Le
authors: Richard S
authors: RS
authors: Buller
authors: Eugene
authors: E
authors: Agapov
authors: Gregory A
authors: GA
authors: Storch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000821:virology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult