title: Immunosuppression increases JC polyomavirus large T antigen DNA load in the brains of patients without progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
abstract: The relationship between latent JC polyomavirus (JCV) infection and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) remains unclear. In this study, JCV DNA was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in brain and kidney tissue from patients without PML. Immunosuppressed patients had significantly higher JCV DNA levels in brain, compared with immunocompetent patients (P = .001). An inverse relationship was observed between CD4(+) T-cell counts and qPCR-determined brain JCV load among patients with HIV infection (r(2) = -0.9; P = .01; n = 7). Higher kidney JCV DNA load was strongly associated with higher brain JCV DNA load (Spearman ρ = 0.65; P = .004; n = 18). These findings highlight the importance of latent JVC brain infection to the pathogenesis of PML.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Monash University, Seven, Alfred Centre, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia. julianne.bayliss@monash.edu
authors.forename: Julianne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bayliss
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karasoulos
authors.forename: Catriona A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McLean
mesh_terms: D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007577:JC Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007668:Kidney / Q000821:virology; D007968:Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; D004279:DNA, Viral