Survey for the presence of BK, JC, KI, WU and Merkel cell polyomaviruses in human brain tissues.
BACKGROUND
Recently three previously unknown polyomaviruses (KI, WU and Merkel cell polyomaviruses) have been identified from human specimens. The spectrum of clinical manifestations and their tissue tropism are currently unknown. Since a member of this virus family, JC virus, is well-known for its capacity to establish latency in human brain tissue where reactivation in immunocompromised individuals can result in fatal progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, we sought to examine for the presence of all the five known human polyomaviruses in a series of human brain tissues.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possibility of neuropersistence of the newly identified human polyomaviruses.


METHODS
Autopsy brain tissues were collected from 10 different brain regions of 30 individuals who died from diseases unrelated to viral infections. Nested PCR was used to assess the presence or absence of viral DNA.


RESULTS
Ten samples collected from five individuals were found to harbour JCV DNA. In contrast, none of the 300 brain tissues examined showed positive results for BK, KI, WU or Merkel cell polyomavirus.


CONCLUSIONS
The newly identified KI, WU and Merkel cell polyomaviruses either do not, or have a much lower neuropersistent potential compared to JCV.
Lam
W Y
WY
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, People's Republic of China.
Leung
B W
BW
Chu
Ida M T
IM
Chan
Alexander C L
AC
Ng
H K
HK
Chan
Paul K S
PK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence
D004279:DNA, Viral