Elsevier

Journal of Clinical Virology

Volume 64, March 2015, Pages 28-33
Journal of Clinical Virology

WU and KI polyomaviruses in respiratory, blood and urine samples from renal transplant patients

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcv.2014.12.020Get rights and content

Highlights

  • •

    Respiratory, blood and urine samples were collected from renal transplant patients.

  • •

    KIPyV was detected in all sample types, frequency was 14.3, 3.9 and 4.1%.

  • •

    WUPyV was found in respiratory and blood samples, frequency was 9.1% and 5.3%.

  • •

    Time point of sampling and age was associated with positivity for viruses.

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    Co-occurrence of KIPyV in different samples, but no clinical consequence was found.

Abstract

Background

It is suggested that immunosuppression due to transplantation might be a risk for human polyomavirus KI (KIPyV) and WU (WUPyV) infection. Most of the publications report data about stem cell transplant patients, little is known about these virus infections in renal transplant patients.

Objectives

To study the presence of KIPyV and WUPyV in upper respiratory, plasma and urine samples from renal transplant patients. To analyse clinical and personal data.

Study design

532 respiratory, 503 plasma and 464 urine samples were collected from 77 renal transplant patients. KIPyV and WUPyV were detected by nested and quantitative real-time PCR. Patient and clinical data from medical records were analyzed.

Results

KIPyV was detected in respiratory, plasma and urine samples from 14.3%, 3.9% and 4.1% of renal transplant patients. WUPyV was found in respiratory and plasma specimens from 9.1% and 5.3% of the patients. Significant association was revealed between the detection of KIPyV and WUPyV and the time of samples collection and the age of the patients. KIPyV was presented in respiratory and plasma sample at the same time. KIPyV was detected in plasma samples from two patients and in urine samples of three other patients providing also KIPyV positive respiratory samples at the same time. No clinical consequences of KIPyV or WUPyV infection were found.

Conclusion

Although no clinical consequences of KIPyV and WUPyV infections were found in renal transplant patients, it is suggested that renal transplantation might result in higher susceptibility or reactivation of these infection.

Section snippets

Background

KI and WU polyomaviruses (KIPyV and WUPyV) were discovered in respiratory samples from children suffering from respiratory symptoms in 2007 [1], [2]. Subsequent studies using PCR methods revealed the presence of viral DNA in many different samples: respiratory, blood, stool, cerebrospinal fluid, lymphoid tissue, lung [3] and urine samples [4], [5]. Seroepidemiological studies showed that both viruses are widespread, the seropositivity of KIPyV and WUPyV are 55–100% in the adult population [6],

Objectives

Based on the above mentioned data it is suggested that renal transplant patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy might be more susceptible for these infections or reactivation of these viruses may occur. To examine the prevalence of these viruses in renal transplant patients, to find potential site of viral replication and/or latency the presence of KIPyV and WUPyV was studied by PCR in respiratory, blood and urine samples from renal transplant patients from transplantation until 18 month.

Patients and samples

The study was approved by Regional and Institutional Ethics Committee of University of Debrecen.

Throat swab, plasma (from EDTA blood samples) and urine samples were collected from 77 renal transplant patients receiving kidney between September 2008 and September 2012 at University of Debrecen as described previously [4]. Samples were collected from patients visiting the outpatient clinic of the renal transplant centre at University of Debrecen. Table 1 summarizes the number of samples and the

Results

In our study group 20.7% of the renal transplant patients (16/77) provided KIPyV and/or WUPyV positive respiratory samples during the examination period. KIPyV DNA was detected in 17 respiratory samples (17/532; 3.2%) taken from 11 patients (11/77; 14.3%). Three patients had two or three positive respiratory samples within 7–21 days, and one patient provided a KIPyV positive sample 158 days after his first positive sample. WUPyV was found in 8 respiratory samples (8/532; 1.5%) from 7 patients

Discussion

Previous studies with haematopoietic transplant patients suggest that immunosuppression related to transplantation may result in higher frequencies of KIPyV and WUPyV infection [14], [16], [18], [19]. At the same time, little is known about renal transplant patients [4]. In this study the presence of KIPyV and WUPyV was studied in upper respiratory tract, plasma and urine samples from 77 renal transplant patients from transplantation until 18 months after it. KIPyV was revealed in all sample

Funding

The research is supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA PD109108) and research activity of Eszter Csoma was supported by the European Union and the State of Hungary, co-financed by the European Social Fund in the framework of TÁMOP-4.2.4.A/2-11/1-2012-0001 ‘National Excellence Program’.

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interest.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by Regional and Institutional Ethics Committee of University of Debrecen (number: 2740-2008, 2917-2009, IX-R-052/00876-2/2012).

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