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BK virus infection post renal transplant. Dr. Introduction. We shall discuss today regarding Polyomavirus infection, replication, and disease in renal transplant recipients. Polyomavirus infection. Polyomavirus infection
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Introduction • We shall discuss today regarding • Polyomavirus infection, replication, and disease in renal transplant recipients
Polyomavirus infection • Polyomavirus infection • Typically occurs during childhood, with seroprevalence rates of 65% to 90% by the age of 10 years, and is usually asymptomatic • Individuals with altered immunity, however, can experience high-level replication and may present with urine cytology (“decoy” cells) Transplantation Reviews 2008;22:241–51
Polyomavirus infection • BK virus • Named after the first patient in which it was described • Ubiquitous polyomavirus • Acquired in childhood and becomes latent in uroepithelial cells • Reactivation of BK virus occurs in patients in immunosuppressed states, including • After transplantation Transplantation Proceedings 2008;40: S48–51
Polyomavirus infection • Polyomavirus (BK)–associated nephropathy (BKVN) • Now recognized as significant problem in renal transplants that may lead to progressive allograft dysfunction • First recognized in 1999 in adult renal transplant recipients
Polyomavirus infection • In renal transplant recipients, • Polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN) develops in 5% of patients and leads to graft loss in approximately 50% of cases • Pathogenesis of PVAN characterized by • Persisting high-level polyoma BK virus (BKV) replication in renal tubular epithelial cells, inflammation, and progressive organ failure with tubular atrophy and fibrosis Transplantation Reviews 2008;22:241–51
Polyomavirus infection • Polyoma virus: Renal transplant recipients • Definitive diagnosis requires histopathological assessment, notably to exclude acute rejection • BK viruria: 20% - 40% of renal transplant patients • BK viremia: approx. 12% of patients • Studies have indicated that • BK viremia greater than 10e4/mL is predictive of definitive PVAN, and these patients should be regarded as having “presumptive PVAN,” and • Reduced immunosuppression should be considered Transplantation Reviews 2008;22:241–51
Polyomavirus infection • Screening patients and donors for BK-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies has the potential for clinical relevancy but is not currently recommended until more extensive data are available Transplantation Reviews 2010 ;24: 28–31
Polyomavirus infection • Patients with 107 viral copies/mL of serum can be treated as having “presumptive” BK nephropathy • BK nephropathy develops through • Three stages • Stage A • Few viral inclusion bodies and occasional positive immunohistochemical staining, with an antibody to SV40 large T antigen that cross-reacts with BK large T antigen
Polyomavirus infection • BK nephropathy • Stage B • Fulminant nephropathy shows an inflammatory infiltrate with focal tubulitis, which may mimic acute rejection but includes prominent intranuclear inclusions and T-antigen staining • Stage C • Diffuse interstitial fibrosis and closely resembles chronic allograft nephropathy
Polyomavirus infection • A variety of factors related to the • Recipient, donor, transplant, or viruses have been proposed as risk factors for PVAN after renal transplantation, including • Use of intense immunosuppression • (often, but not exclusively, comprising triple therapy with tacrolimus-MMF-prednisolone) • Seems likely that both • Potency of immunosuppression and • Agent specific influences may contribute to the risk of BK reactivation and PVAN Transplantation Reviews 2008;22:241–51
Polyomavirus infection • Consistent with the role of T cells to control BK infection, • he use of antithymocyte globulins has been associated with higher risk Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2007;2:1037, Transplantation 2007;84:83, Nephrol Dial Transplant 2007;22(suppl 8):viii66,
BK viral nephropathy recommendations for prevention and early diagnosis
BK virus infection: Treatment • The treatment of BKVN is unlikely to be satisfactory until safe and effective antiviral drugs are discovered • Hence, there is a lot of current emphasis on the prevention of this distressing complication
BK virus infection: Treatment • Currently, • Reduction of immunosuppression remains the most widely accepted approach to treatment • It is now assumed that • Screening all transplant patients with serial PCR analyses of urine or serum, with • Prompt reduction of immunosuppression when patients initially display viruria or viremia, will • Prevent or reduce the risk for developing BKVN Transplantation Reviews 2010 ;24: 28–31
BK virus infection: Treatment • Antiviral agents used empirically for BKVN include • Cidofovir • Leflunomide, • Quinolone antibiotics, and • Intravenous immunoglobulin • True efficacy of these strategies is unclear because • No randomized control trials have been done, and the • Value of therapy independent of reduction of immunosuppression has not been specifically evaluated Transplantation Reviews 2007;21:77–85
BK virus infection: Treatment • Recent review “Treatment of polyomavirus infection in kidney transplant recipients” data • Pooled results found a death- censored graft loss rate of • 8/100 patient-years for immunosuppression reduction alone and • 8 and 13/100 patient-years for the addition of cidofovir or leflunomide, respectively Transplantation. 2010 May 15;89(9):1057-70.
BK virus infection: Treatment • Recent review “Treatment of polyomavirus infection in kidney transplant recipients” Conclusions • There does not seem to be a graft survival benefit of adding cidofovir or leflunomide to immunosuppression reduction for the management of PVAN • However, the evidence base is poor and highlights the urgent need for adequately powered randomized trials to define the optimal treatment of this important condition Transplantation. 2010 May 15;89(9):1057-70.
BK virus infection: Treatment • It is a medical and an ethical dilemma • Whether retransplantation should be done after a patient loses the renal graft to polyoma nephropathy • Should immunosuppressive therapy be altered? • Is nephroureterectomy of the failed graft necessary? • What is the natural course of the disease after retransplantation? Transplantation Reviews 2007;21:77–85
BK virus infection: Treatment • Retransplantation after polyomavirus- associated nephropathy has been reported in 17 cases • In these cases, recurrence of nephropathy has occurred in 2 patients and viremia alone in a third patient. • For most of these patients, immunosuppression after retransplantation was the same as for the first transplantation • Allograft nephrectomy was performed in 11 of the 15 patients Transplantation Reviews 2007;21:77–85
BK virus infection: Treatment • Also, all 15 patients had reconstituted their BKV-specific immune control, as demonstrated by negative urine cytology pretransplant • Authors conclude that • Retransplantation in patients without active replication is generally safe Transplantation Reviews 2007;21:77–85
BK virus infection: Treatment • Authors conclude that.. • Control of viral replication, allowing enough time to raise sufficient immune response, which usually requires more than 12 weeks of reduced immunosuppression, appears to be a desirable goal before a second transplant is contemplated. • In addition, nephroureterectomy is not necessary when viral replication is absent before retransplantation. Transplantation Reviews 2007;21:77–85
Conclusions • BKV infections remain a significant concern in kidney transplant patients • Intensive viral monitoring and preemptive adjustment of immunosuppression have led to reduction in the incidence of overt viral nephropathy • Nonetheless, approximately 30% of patients in major transplant programs develop viruria and need to be carefully monitored for the possible development of this complication
Conclusions • In those patients who do develop BK Virus induced allograft injury, we do not have reliable antiviral drugs available at this time • Although early diagnosis and prompt therapeutic intervention have reduced rates of overt graft loss to approximately 15%, surviving grafts frequently show progressive decline in graft function
Conclusions • It is likely that long-term low-grade viruria and viremia promote the development of chronic allograft nephropathy • The magnitude of this problem needs to be clarified by future clinical studies.