Donor and Recipient Pretransplant Polyoma BK Serostatus: Relationship to BK-Viremia After Renal Transplantation
Surgery, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY.
Meeting: 2015 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: 427
Keywords: Infection, Kidney transplantation, Outcome, Polyma virus
Session Information
Session Name: Concurrent Session: BK Virus Infection After Kidney Transplantation
Session Type: Concurrent Session
Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Session Time: 4:00pm-5:30pm
Presentation Time: 4:12pm-4:24pm
Location: Room 115-C
Background:
Polyoma virus BK nephropathy is a serious complication after renal transplantation and is associated with a significant risk of graft loss and dysfunction. This study analyzed the relationship of pretransplantation Polyoma BK virus (BKV) donor and recipient serostatus to the incidence and timing of posttransplantation BK viremia.
Methods:
224 consecutive adult deceased-donor renal transplant recipients performed at our center, 2007-2012, underwent monthly plasma PCR screening for BK viremia. Immunosuppression for all recipients consisted of Thymoglobulin induction followed by triple therapy with mycophenolate, tacrolimus and sirolimus. Pretransplantation BKV serostatus was determined with IgG enzyme immunoassay for all 224 donor-recipient pairs. Based on pretransplant BKV serostatus the subjects were categorized in four groups: D+/R-, D+/R+, D-/R+, D-/R-. All 4 groups were followed for the development and timing of BK viremia (>1,000 copies/mL plasma) after transplantation.
Results:
The overall incidence of BK viremia for all 224 recipients (D+/R-, n=19), (D+/R+, n=171),( D-/R+, n=31),(D-/R-, n=3) was 18% with a median time to detection of 5 months after transplant. The incidence and median time to viremia after transplant for the 4 groups based on donor and recipient BKV serostatus are shown in the table below.
| Group | N | Viremia | time |
| D+R- | 19 | 37 | 2 |
| D+R+ | 171 | 18 | 5 |
| D-R+ | 31 | 10 | 8 |
| D-R- | 3 | 0 |
Conclusions:
The rate of BK viremia was significantly higher in the D+R- recipient group and developed earlier after transplant than in the other recipient groups. Pretransplant donor and recipient BKV serostatus can be used to define the risk and timing of the development of BK-viremia after renal transplantation.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Tseng H, Lopez-Soler R, Chandolias N, Friedrich T, Eldor J, Conti D. Donor and Recipient Pretransplant Polyoma BK Serostatus: Relationship to BK-Viremia After Renal Transplantation [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2015; 15 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/donor-and-recipient-pretransplant-polyoma-bk-serostatus-relationship-to-bk-viremia-after-renal-transplantation/. Accessed May 9, 2025.« Back to 2015 American Transplant Congress