title: Infrequent detection of KI, WU and MC polyomaviruses in immunosuppressed individuals with or without progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
abstract: Conflicting prevalence of newly identified KI (KIPyV), WU (WUPyV) and Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCPyV) polyomaviruses have been reported in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) patient samples, ranging from 0 to 14.3%. We analyzed the prevalence of these polyomaviruses in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and bone marrow samples from PML patients, immunosuppressed individuals with or without HIV, and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Distinct PCR tests for KIPyV, WUPyV and MCPyV DNA performed in two independent laboratories detected low levels of MCPyV DNA only in 1/269 samples. The infrequent detections of these viruses in multiple samples from immunosuppressed individuals including those with PML suggest that their reactivation mechanisms may be different from that of JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) and that they do not play a role in the pathogenesis of PML.
authors: Division of Viral Pathogenesis, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Dang
authors: Seweryn
authors: S
authors: Bialasiewicz
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Nissen
authors: Theo P
authors: TP
authors: Sloots
authors: Igor J
authors: IJ
authors: Koralnik
authors: Chen S
authors: CS
authors: Tan
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007968:Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D008403:Mass Screening; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000235:genetics*