BK virus in renal transplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: BK virus is a significant risk factor for kidney allograft dysfunction and loss among renal transplant recipients. Currently, there is no proven effective treatment except for the reduction of immunosuppression. In this review, we discuss diagnostic challenges and current treatment options for BK in kidney transplant recipients. RECENT FINDINGS: Antiviral and antibiotic therapies have been employed for BK viraemia with variable efficacy. In addition, novel therapeutic regimens such as adoptive transfer of targeted T cells have been described as possible treatment options for recipients with BK nephropathy...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We showed that mineralocorticoid receptor blockade (MRB) prevented acute and chronic cyclosporine nephropathy (CsA-Nx) in the rat. The aim of this translational study was to investigate the effect of long-term eplerenone administration on renal allograft function in children with biopsy-proven chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Renal transplant children <18 years, biopsy-proven CAN, and a GFR>40 ml/min per 1...

BACKGROUND: BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy is an important cause of post-transplantation renal failure. We present two cases of BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy who were submitted to contrasting strategies of clinical follow-up to BK polyomavirus reactivation, but progressed to a similar final outcome. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1 is a 37-year-old white man whose graft had never presented a good glomerular filtration rate function, with episodes of tacrolimus nephrotoxicity, and no urinary monitoring for BK polyomavirus; stage B BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy was diagnosed by biopsy at 14 months post-transplant...

BK virus nephropathy (BKVN) and allograft rejection are two distinct disease entities which occur at opposite ends of the immune spectrum. However, they coexist in renal transplant recipients. Predisposing factors for this coexistence remain elusive. We identified nine biopsy-proven BKVN patients with coexisting acute rejection, and 21 patients with BKVN alone. We retrospectively analyzed the dosage and blood concentrations of immunosuppressants during the 3-month period prior to the renal biopsy between the two patient groups...

More than 20 years after its first description and increased morbidity under powerful immunosuppression, the understanding of the pathogenesis of BK polyomavirus induced allograft nephropathy (BKVN) has changed clinical practice in renal transplantation. Screening programs were introduced at most transplant centers causing the prevalence of BKVN to decrease. However, BK viremia is still found in 10-30% of renal allograft recipients with 1-10% developing BKVN. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved...

BACKGROUND: Reactivation of BK polyoma virus causes a destructive virus allograft nephropathy (BKVAN) with graft loss in 46%. Treatment options are limited to reduced immunosuppression and largely ineffective antiviral agents. Some studies suggest benefit from intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). METHODS: We evaluated effectiveness of adjuvant IVIG to eliminate virus from blood and tissue, in a retrospective, single-center cohort study, against standard-of-care controls...

BACKGROUND: Recently we showed that the level of BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) IgG seroreactivity in kidney donors predicted viremia and BKPyV-associated nephropathy in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). This observation could be explained by assuming a direct association between BKPyV seroreactivity and the amount of persistent infectious virus in the renal allograft. OBJECTIVES: Since the renal BKPyV reservoir is probably sowed by viremia during primary BKPyV infection, we systematically analysed the dynamics of BKPyV IgG seroreactivity in relation to preceding BKPyV viremia in KTRs and healthy individuals...

Viral infections lead to significant morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant recipients. We evaluated 49 kidney transplant recipients for human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) and BK polyomavirus infections in conjunction with data obtained from 43 donors. The seroprevalence of HHV-8 was 6.9% in donors and 12.2% in recipients. HHV-8 DNA was detected below the limit of quantification (<5000 copies/mL) in a recipient with HHV-8 seropositivity at the pretransplant period and was undetectable at month 3 after transplantation...

BK polyomavirus (BKV) causes frequent infections during childhood and establishes persistent infections within renal tubular cells and the uroepithelium, with minimal clinical implications. However, reactivation of BKV in immunocompromised individuals following renal or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may cause serious complications, including BKV-associated nephropathy (BKVAN), ureteric stenosis, or hemorrhagic cystitis. Implementation of more potent immunosuppression and increased posttransplant surveillance has resulted in a higher incidence of BKVAN...

OBJECTIVES: Low-dose valganciclovir prophylaxis is still under investigation in renal transplant procedures. Our aim was to assess the cost effectiveness of 450 mg versus 900 mg valganciclovir prophylaxis in kidney transplant recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective trial, 201 kidney transplant patients were randomized (1:1) to receive 450 mg/d (group 1, n = 100) or 900 mg/d (group 2, n = 101) valganciclovir prophylaxis for the first 6 months after transplant...

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether overall degree of immunosuppression or specific effects of individual immunosuppressive agents are causal for increased occurrence of BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) infection in renal transplant recipients (RTR). METHODS: A prospective, multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial in 361 de novo RTR was performed. A total of 224 RTR were randomized at 6 months into three treatment groups with dual therapy consisting of prednisolone (Pred) plus either cyclosporine (CsA), mycophenolate sodium (MPS), or everolimus (EVL)...

Leflunomide is an immunosuppressive drug with in vitro and initial observational evidence of antiviral activity against BK virus (BKV), a pathogen that causes opportunistic infection upon reactivation in renal transplant recipients. Leflunomide is considered an ancillary option to immunosuppression reduction in the management of BKV reactivation. Plasma or blood concentrations of teriflunomide, the active metabolite of leflunomide, are commonly monitored because of high leflunomide doses being used, known inter-individual variability in pharmacokinetics, and hepatotoxicity risk...

BACKGROUND: BK polyomavirus virus (BKPyV) screening and immunosuppression reduction effectively prevent graft loss due to BKPyV-associated nephropathy (BKPVAN) during the first year after transplantation. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of this infection during longer follow-up periods. METHODS: We reviewed the outcome of our screening and immunosuppression reduction protocol in 305 patients who received a kidney transplant between March 2008 and January 2013...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Robotic assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) is an alternative to open radical cystectomy. As experience is gained with the RARC approach the technique is being applied to more complex surgical cases. We describe here our technique for RARC with intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion for a renal transplant recipient. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patient is a 60-year old man with high-grade muscle invasive bladder cancer. He has a history of renal failure due to polycystic kidney disease and received a deceased donor renal transplant in 2008...

OBJECTIVES: Renal transplant is the most appropriate treatment for both adult and pediatric patients with end-stage renal failure. Here, we analyzed surgical complications after pediatric renal transplant at our center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from patient files and hospital charts of pediatric patients who had renal transplant at our center (Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey). Our immunosuppression protocol, a calcineurin inhibitor-based triple regimen, was applied to all recipients (steroids, mycophenolic acid)...

OBJECTIVES: Surgical incision infections, along with urinary tract infections, are among the most common infective complications after kidney transplant. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the incidence and predisposing factors of surgical incision infection development in renal transplant recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2015, there were 238 consecutive kidney transplant procedures performed in our unit. Of these, 146 patients received deceased donor kidney allografts and 92 had transplants from living related donors...

BACKGROUND: Infections, particularly urinary tract infections, and cardiovascular accidents are the main causes of morbidity and mortality during the 1st year after kidney transplantation (KT). Bacteria and viruses, such as Escherichia coli, Enteroccoci, and Polyoma BK virus are common in the 1st 6 months, so they are controlled routinely. On the other hand, Clostridium perfringens infection is a rare life-threatening condition, associated with a high mortality rate especially in the transplant population, that is not controlled routinely...

This study investigated the significance of urological surgical intervention for viral hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). A total of 1, 024 patients underwent allo-HSCT at our medical center between January 2006 and July 2014. In the 6 patients (0.58%) who required urological surgical treatment for viral HC, we retrospectively analyzed patient characteristics and outcomes. Two patients underwent nephrostomy for bilateral hydronephrosis due to bladder tamponade...

AIM: To evaluate incidence, risk factors and treatment outcome of BK polyomavirus nephropathy (BKVN) in a cohort of renal transplant recipients in the Auckland region without a formal BK polyomavirus (BKV) surveillance programme. METHODS: A cohort of 226 patients who received their renal transplants from 2006 to 2012 was retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Seventy-six recipients (33.6%) had a BK viral load (BKVL) test and 9 patients (3.9%) developed BKVN...

Despite many achievements in renal transplant in the past few years regarding immunosuppression and tissue matching, the rates of early and late graft loss and return to dialysis are still high. Many of those with primary graft failure will be listed for a kidney retransplant, as this allows for better quality of life than dialysis. Many challenges face those requiring renal retransplant, including first graft nephrectomy and whether site of retransplant should be ipsilateral or contralateral, whether to conduct preemptive retransplant or wait while on dialysis, additional immunologic factors, immunosuppression after retransplant, cancer risk, BK virus infection, and retransplant in pediatrics...