Detection of human polyomaviruses JC and BK in liver pretransplant patients

This study aimed to identify and quantify polyomaviruses (BKPyV and JCPyV) in the saliva, mouthwash, blood and urine of liver pretransplant patients.

A case-control study was performed using a convenience sample of 21 end-stage liver disease patients (EG = experimental group) and 20 normoreactive controls (CG = control group). In total, 162 samples were collected. Detection and quantification of polyomaviruses were performed using real-time PCR method.

In the EG, 21 samples (25%) were positive for BKPyV and 10 (11.90%) for JCPyV, while in the CG, 27 samples (34.61%) were positive for BKPyV and six (7.69%) for JCPyV. With regard to the number of samples positive for BKPyV and JCPyV, there was no statistically significant difference between EG and CG (p = .52 and p = .25). In the EG, we observed a panorama similar to that of the CG regarding the presence of polyomaviruses in mouthwash, blood and urine. The greatest difference between the samples was that regarding the identification of BKPyV in saliva.

Cirrhotic patients on the liver transplant waiting list did not show higher prevalence of BKPyV and JCPyV compared to normoreactive controls.