title: The association between killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and KIR ligand genotypes and the likelihood of BK virus replication after kidney transplantation.
abstract: BK virus is a common opportunistic post-transplantation viral infection. Although some risk factors have been studied in this context, the contribution of NK cells has not been assessed in detail. In a group of kidney transplant recipients, we studied the association between (i) the likelihood of BK virus replication during the two-year period after kidney transplantation and (ii) the genotypes of the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) repertoire and their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ligands. Other clinical factors (such as defective organ recovery and immunosuppressive treatment) were also assessed. BK virus replication was observed in 43 of the 103 recipients (41%). Patients with BK virus replication in the plasma were more likely to display defective organ recovery in the first seven days post-transplantation. BK virus replication was not associated with Missing KIR ligands. However, BK virus replication was more frequent in patients with responsive NK cells (i.e. when a ligand for activating KIRs was not homozygous in the recipient and present in the donor). Our results suggest that defective organ recovery and the recipient's activating KIR repertoire may be related (depending on HLA ligands present in the couple recipient / donor) to the reactivation of BK virus replication after kidney transplantation.
authors: Virology Research Unit, EA 4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, Amiens, France.|Department of Virology, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France.
authors: Etienne
authors: E
authors: Brochot
authors: Department of Histocompatibility, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France.|EA 4666, Jules Verne University of Picardie, Amiens, France.
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Desoutter
authors: Department of Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France.|INSERM 1088, Jules Verne University of Picardie, Amiens, France.
authors: Claire
authors: C
authors: Presne
authors: Department of Histocompatibility, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France.|EA 4666, Jules Verne University of Picardie, Amiens, France.
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: De Araujo
authors: Department of Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France.|INSERM 1088, Jules Verne University of Picardie, Amiens, France.
authors: Gauthier
authors: G
authors: Flahaut
authors: Virology Research Unit, EA 4294, Jules Verne University of Picardie, Amiens, France.|Department of Virology, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France.
authors: Sandrine
authors: S
authors: Castelain
authors: Department of Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France.|INSERM 1088, Jules Verne University of Picardie, Amiens, France.
authors: Pierre-François
authors: PF
authors: Westeel
authors: Department of Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France.|INSERM 1088, Jules Verne University of Picardie, Amiens, France.
authors: Gabriel
authors: G
authors: Choukroun
authors: Department of Histocompatibility, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France. guillaume.nicolas@chu-amiens.fr.|EA 4666, Jules Verne University of Picardie, Amiens, France. guillaume.nicolas@chu-amiens.fr.
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Guillaume
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001739:BK Virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000737:chemistry; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics*; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D014779:Virus Replication; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D054340:Receptors, KIR
keywords: 
  human leukocyte antigen
  ; BK virus; kidney transplantation; killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor; natural killer cell