Higher Viral Load of Polyomavirus Type BK but not JC among Renal Transplant Recipients in Comparison to Donors

Genotypes and Variants of BKPyV in Organ Donors after Brain Death

Kidney transplantation from a donor with latent BKPyV might be the cause of serious complications, such as BK virus-associated nephropathy. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of BKPyV infection in donors after brain death (DBDs), to analyse the molecular variation of BKPyV and to compare clinical and inflammation parameters of DBDs infected with various genotypes of BKPyV. BKPyV was investigated in blood and urine samples of 103 DBDs using PCR followed by sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, and the viral load was assessed by qPCR. Clinical parameters, including cellular markers of inflammation were assessed. The results confirm high prevalence of BKPyV (48%),and genotype IV (49%) over genotype I (43%) and the co-infection with genotypes I and IV in 8.2%. Viral load ranged from 102 to 107 copies/mL, with an average of 1.92 × 106 copies/mL. No specific markers for BKPyV infection were detected among the parameters tested. Infection with genotype I may be associated with the adverse impact on thekidney function, while infection with genotype IV was associated with the anemia Not only the viral load but also the genotype of BKPyV may have an impact on the course of infection.