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

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

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.

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).

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.