Molecular epidemiology of KI and WU polyomaviruses in infants with acute respiratory disease and in adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

Abstract

Polyomaviruses KI (KIPyV) and WU (WUPyV) were described recently in children with acute respiratory disease. The pathogenic potential of these human viruses has not been determined completely, but a correlation between immunosuppression and virus reactivation has been suggested. In the present study, the association between KI/WUPyV infection and immunosuppression was investigated using sequential nasopharyngeal aspirates from asymptomatic adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. In parallel, an investigation on the WU/KIPyV prevalence in children with acute respiratory disease was also carried out. Two of the 126 samples obtained from the 31 hematopoietic transplant recipients were positive for KIPyV (1 sample, 0.79%) and WUPyV (1 sample, 0.79%). Both samples were obtained 15 days after allogeneic transplantation and virus persistence was not observed in subsequent samples. In symptomatic children, 7 of the 486 nasopharyngeal aspirates were positive for WUPyV (1.4%) and 1 for KIPyV (0.2%). Single polyomavirus infection was detected in four patients, whereas the remaining patients were co-infected with respiratory syncityal virus (three patients) or adenovirus (one patient). The results suggest that WU/KIPyVs have a limited circulation in Italy and a low pathogenic potential in young children. Brief and asymptomatic infection can occur in hematopoietic transplant recipients.

• Authors: Maurizia Debiaggi, Filippo Canducci, Roberto Brerra, Michela Sampaolo, Maria Chiara Marinozzi, Maurizio Parea, Milena Arghittu, Emilio Paolo Alessandrino, Stefano Nava, Elisabetta Nucleo, Egidio Romero, Massimo Clementi
• Journal: Journal of medical virology (J Med Virol) Vol. 82 Issue 1 Pg. 153-6 (Jan 2010) ISSN: 1096-9071 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19950241 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Adult
• Child, Preschool
• Female
• Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (adverse effects)
• Humans
• Immunocompromised Host
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Italy (epidemiology)
• Male
• Molecular Epidemiology
• Nasopharynx (virology)
• Polyomavirus (classification, genetics, isolation & purification)
• Polyomavirus Infections (epidemiology, virology)
• Prevalence
• Respiratory Tract Infections (epidemiology, virology)
• Seasons
• Transplantation, Homologous (adverse effects)
• Tumor Virus Infections (epidemiology, virology)