title: Possible antiviral effect of ciprofloxacin treatment on polyomavirus BK replication and analysis of non-coding control region sequences.
abstract: Acute renal dysfunction (ARD) is a common complication in renal transplant recipients. Multiple factors contribute to ARD development, including acute rejection and microbial infections. Many viral infections after kidney transplantation result from reactivation of "latent" viruses in the host or from the graft, such as the human Polyomavirus BK (BKV). We report the case of a 39 year-old recipient of a 2nd kidney graft who experienced BKV reactivation after a second episode of acute humoral rejection. A 10-day treatment with the quinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin was administered with an increase of immunosuppressive therapy despite the active BKV replication. Real Time PCR analysis performed after treatment with ciprofloxacin, unexpectedly showed clearance of BK viremia and regression of BK viruria. During the follow-up, BK viremia persisted undetectable while viruria decreased further and disappeared after 3 months.BKV non-coding control region sequence analysis from all positive samples always showed the presence of archetypal sequences, with two single-nucleotide substitutions and one nucleotide deletion that, interestingly, were all representative of the subtype/subgroup I/b-1 we identified by the viral protein 1 sequencing analysis.We report the potential effect of the quinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin in the decrease of the BKV load in both blood and urine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Nephrology and Dialysis Unit, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 37, Rome 00185, Italy. annapaola.mitter@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Umbro
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anzivino
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tinti
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zavatto
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellizzi
authors.forename: Donatella Maria
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Rodio
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pietropaolo
authors.forename: Anna Paola
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mitterhofer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001739:BK Virus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D017354:Point Mutation; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014766:Viremia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D004279:DNA, Viral; D002939:Ciprofloxacin