A correlation between polyomavirus JC virus quantification and genotypes in renal transplantation

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether the John Cunningham virus (JCV) viral load and the multigenotypes in viruria are correlated with transplant patients.

Methods: The urine of 60 renal transplant patients and 60 healthy controls were screened. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and capillary electrophoresis to assess viral load and genotype respectively.

Results: The incidence of viruria and viral load were higher in transplant patients with P = .0092 and P = .0094, respectively. The incidence of different genotype in transplant patients versus controls was 8.3% versus 13.3% for single genotype, 26.7% versus 5% for 2 genotypes, and 5% versus 0% for multigenotypes (P = .0004). The incidence of more than 2 genotypes was high in people with a high viral load and closely related with the transplant patients (P = .007).

Conclusions: Not only viral load but also genotypes are important as a screening parameter to understand the immune milieu of the patients to prevent subsequent complications like polyomavirus nephropathy, infection, and malignancy.