title: Evaluation of polyomavirus BK cellular immune response by an ELISpot assay and relation to viral replication in kidney transplant recipients.
abstract: The failure of immune surveillance may be associated with polyomavirus BK reactivation, potentially leading to the development of nephropathy in kidney transplantation. BK-specific cellular immune response may be used to modulate immunosuppressive therapy, but few studies have investigated the topic. Herein, we serially evaluated BK-specific response in 149 kidney transplant recipients and found that only 14/149 (9.4%) were responders. Episodes of viral reactivation (viremia and/or viruria) occurred only in non-responder patients. The frequency of BK-specific immune response appears to be lower than that for other persistently infecting viruses such as cytomegalovirus.
authors.affiliation: S.C. Microbiologia e Virologia U. Unità Trapianto Rene, Azienda Ospedaliera Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piceghello
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Nauta
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sinesi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sidoti
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cavallo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001739:BK Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D058501:Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014779:Virus Replication; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma