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BK virus in transplant recipients: current perspectives
Authors Muhsin SA, Wojciechowski D
Received 8 June 2019
Accepted for publication 29 August 2019
Published 9 September 2019 Volume 2019:11 Pages 47—58
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/TRRM.S188021
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single-blind
Peer reviewers approved by Dr Nicola Ludin
Peer reviewer comments 4
Editor who approved publication: Professor Qing Yi
Saif A Muhsin, David Wojciechowski
Nephrology Division and Transplant Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Correspondence: David Wojciechowski
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX USA
Tel +1 214 645 7846
Email david.wojciechowski@utsouthwestern.edu
Abstract: Since its discovery in 1971, BK Polyomavirus infection has been increasingly recognized, especially since the introduction of more effective immunosuppressive medications in the early 1990s. BK virus is believed to have a high seroprevalence in healthy individuals, entering a latent phase in the genitourinary that follows the primary infection. Reactivation may occur in immunocompromised hosts, with significant effects seen especially in kidney and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Screening methods have been developed and are implemented as early detection may allow for the prevention of irreversible tissue damage. Reduction of immunosuppression remains the cornerstone of therapy for BKV infection, and adjunctive therapies have shown variable results. Newer cellular-based therapeutics might provide a more targeted treatment for BKV infection but are still in need of more randomized human studies.
Keywords: kidney transplantation, BK polyomavirus, immunosuppression
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