title: Distribution of JC polyomavirus genotypes in Tunisian renal transplant recipients between January 2008 and January 2011.
abstract: The polyomavirus JC (JCPyV) is a ubiquitous virus in humans, causing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a fatal demyelinating disease. JCPyV propagates in the adult kidney and excretes its progeny in urine, from which its DNA can be recovered readily. JCPyV isolates worldwide can be classified into 14 subtypes or genotypes, each associated with a specific geographical region. The European genotypes EU-a-b-c are spread throughout Europe and Mediterranean areas. The major African genotype Af2 is spread not only throughout Africa but also in West and South Asia. A minor African genotype (Af1) occurs in Central and West Africa. Partially overlapping domains in Asia were occupied by various genotypes (e.g., B1-a, -b, -d, B2, CY, MY, and SC). To characterize the subtypes of JCPyV prevalent in Tunisia, the presence of the virus was investigated by real-time PCR in urine samples from 98 renal transplant recipients. For subtype identification, a 610 bp typing region of the JCPyV genome was amplified from each urine sample, and its DNA sequence was determined. In the patients studied, the major African subtype Af2 was the predominant (62.5%), followed by the European subtype EU (33.5%). Only one case clustering with the Asian genotype SC (4%) was identified. The presence of the European subtype with high prevalence in this population suggests that the epidemiological distribution of JCPyV virus sequences in North Africa is related partially to the epidemiological data in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Transmissible Diseases and Biological Active Substances, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia. han_boukoum@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Hanen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boukoum
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nahdi
authors.forename: Nabil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abid
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Foulongne
authors.forename: Wissal
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sahtout
authors.forename: Dorsaf
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zallema
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Skiri
authors.forename: Sabra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aloui
authors.forename: Abdelatif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Achour
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Segondy
authors.forename: Mahjoub
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aouni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007577:JC Virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014180:Transplantation; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014556:Urine / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral