Korean J Lab Med.  2003 Aug;23(4):263-267.

BK Virus Detection by Polymerase Chain Reaction in Renal Transplant Recipients and Healthy Donors

• Lee WH
• Kim BS
• Jeong HJ
• Kim YS
• Kim HS

Abstract

BACKGROUND
BK virus is a polyomavirus associated with a range of clinical presentations from asymptomatic viruria with pyuria to ureteral ulceration with ureteral stenosis in renal transplant patients. BK viral Infection of renal allografts has been associated with diminished graft function in some individuals. We tried to detect BK virus in urine and plasma from Korean renal transplant recipients, renal transplant candidates, and healthy donors. METHODS: To detect BK virus in urine and plasma, we used PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragments length polymorphism) with BamHI. The study was performed from 118 renal transplant recipients, 18 renal transplant candidates, and 25 healthy donors. RESULTS: BK virus DNAs were detected in 21.2% of urine and 0.9% of plasma from renal transplant recipients. BK virus DNA was detected in neither urine nor plasma from healthy donors and renal transplants candidates. Among a total of eight patients who were clinically suspected of having BK nephropathy, three were PCR positive for BK virus and two were decoy-cell cytology positive. Six patients were diagnosed as BK nephropathy by tissue pathology. Among them, BK virus was detected by PCR in urine from five patients, and decoy cells were shed from five patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: BK virus detection by polymerase chain reaction in urine may be a non-invasive and sensitive tool for diagnosing and monitoring BK nephropathy.

Keyword

BK virus; Viruria; Renal transplantation

MeSH Terms

Allografts
BK Virus*
Constriction, Pathologic
DNA
Humans
Kidney Transplantation
Pathology
Plasma
Polymerase Chain Reaction*
Polyomavirus
Pyuria
Tissue Donors*
Transplantation*
Transplants
Ulcer
Ureter
DNA