Kidney graft failure induced by BKPyV replication despite a strong reduction of the immunosuppressive therapy

BKPyV replication is a risk factor for the development of polyomavirus-associated nephropathy in kidney transplant recipients. Here, the case of a 42 years old Caucasian patient is described who developed a kidney allograft failure because of uncontrolled BKPyV replication 7 months after transplant despite a strong reduction of the immunosuppressive therapy. The genetic analysis of the noncoding control region did not show rearrangement but two point mutations at nucleotide positions 18 and 31 within P block. The mutation at position 31 involved the nuclear factor-1 site. Sequencing of the VP1 region revealed a subtype I/subgroup b-1.