title: A rolling circle amplification screen for polyomaviruses other than BKPyV in renal transplant recipients confirms high prevalence of urinary JCPyV shedding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multiple novel human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) have been discovered in the last few years. These or other, unknown, nephrotropic HPyVs may potentially be shed in urine.
  
  
  METHODS
  To search for known and unknown HPyVs we investigated BKPyV-negative urine samples from 105 renal transplant recipients (RTR) by rolling circle amplification (RCA) analysis and quantitative JCPyV PCR. Clinical data was analysed to identify risk factors for urinary polyomavirus shedding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 10% (11/105) of the urine samples RCA with subsequent sequencing revealed JCPyV, but no other HPyV sequences. Using quantitative JCPyV PCR, 24% (25/105) of the samples tested positive. Overall sensitivities of RCA of 44% (11/25) in detecting JCPyV in JCPyV DNA-positive urine and 67% (10/15) for samples with JCPyV loads >10,000 copies/ml can be assumed. Despite frequent detectable urinary shedding of JCPyV in our cohort, this could not be correlated with clinical risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Routine urinary JCPyV monitoring in BKPyV-negative RTR without suspected polyomavirus-associated nephropathy might be of limited diagnostic value. As RCA works in a sequence-independent manner, detection of novel and known polyomaviruses shed in sufficient quantities is feasible. High-level shedding of HPyVs other than BKPyV or JCPyV in the urine of RTR is unlikely to occur.
authors: Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Jeanette
authors: J
authors: Kluba
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Linnenweber-Held
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Heim
authors: Angella M
authors: AM
authors: Ang
authors: Lubna
authors: L
authors: Raggub
authors: Verena
authors: V
authors: Broecker
authors: Jan U
authors: JU
authors: Becker
authors: Thomas F
authors: TF
authors: Schulz
authors: Anke
authors: A
authors: Schwarz
authors: Tina
authors: T
authors: Ganzenmueller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001739:BK Virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007577:JC Virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007668:Kidney / Q000821:virology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D017201:Virus Shedding; D055815:Young Adult