Longitudinal study of human polyomaviruses viruria in kidney transplant recipients

Immunosuppression after kidney transplantation (KTx) exposes recipients to Human Polyomaviruses (HPyVs) infections, whose natural history is still misunderstood.

Allograft biopsies, and urine from 58 donor-recipient pairs were collected before KTx (T0) and 1 (T1), 15 (T2), 30 (T3), 60 (T4), 90 (T5), 180 (T6), 270 (T7), 360 (T8), and 540 (T9) days after transplant. Specimens were tested for JC (JCPyV) and BK (BKPyV), by quantitative Real-Time PCR. The course of post-KTx HPyVs viruria, and the association between JCPyV viruria in recipients and donors, were evaluated.

HPyVs were detected in 3/58 (5.2%) allograft biopsies. HPyVs viruria was present in 29/58 (50%) donors and 41/58 (70.7%) recipients. JCPyV DNA was detected in 26/58 (44.8%) donors and 25/58 recipients (43.1%), 19 of whom received kidney from JCPyV positive donor, whereas BKPyV genome was detected in 3 (5.2%) donors and 22 (37.9%) recipients. The median time of JCPyV, and BKPyV first episode of replication was 1, and 171 days post KTx, respectively. At T0, JCPyV viruria of donors was associated with increased risk of JCPyV replication post-KTx; recipients with JCPyV positive donors showed lower risk of BKPyV replication post-KTx.

The results suggested that JCPyV may be transmitted by allograft, and that its replication post KTx might prevent BKPyV reactivation. Future investigation regarding correlation between chronic exposure to immunosuppressive agents and HPyVs urinary replication are warranted.