What is it about?
This article provides the updated insight of BK polyomavirus: the virology, pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory features, and treatment
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Why is it important?
Despite recent advances in understanding the immunology and pathogenesis of BKPyV, increased RTR transplantation rates without a proven diagnostic or treatment strategy will ensure that BKPyV remains problematic in RTR. This may be a particular problem in developing countries where access is limited by cost. Unanswered questions about BKPyV and associated diseases remain: How does BKPyV infect people and what are the modes of transmission? Does variation in the BKPyV genome occur during reactivation in patients after transplantation? Does BKPyV genomic variation increase pathogenicity? Is NCCR rearrangement important for BKPyV reactivation? What causes NCCR rearrangement in relationship with development of disease? Does genotyping correlate with clinical and graft outcomes? How can we better control BKPyV infection immunologically or with antiviral drugs? Is an effective vaccine to protect against BKPyV replication possible? The answers to these questions will help improve outcomes of patients with BKPyV disease.
Perspectives
Although this review has outlined how molecular techniques have improved the detection, prognosis, and characterization of BKPyV infection, the mechanisms of persistence, high-level replication, and BKPyV-associated diseases are yet to be fully resolved. Correlation of BKPyV genotypes and genome variation (including with the use of deep sequencing) with clinical outcomes, especially in BKVAN, requires further investigation.
Trang Van Dinh
National Hospital of Tropical Diseases
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: BK polyomavirus: a review of the virology, pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory features, and treatment, Future Virology, August 2017, Future Medicine,
DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2017-0013.
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