BK virus DNA in CSF of immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood 2003-02, Vol.88 (2), p.174-175
• Main Authors: Behzad-Behbahani, A, Klapper, P E, Vallely, P J, Cleator, G M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age groups; Anatomy; Antibodies; Biological and medical sciences; BK virus; BK Virus - isolation & purification; BKV; Bone marrow; Causes of; central nervous system; cerebrospinal fluid; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; CNS; CSF; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diseases; DNA; DNA, Viral - analysis; Encephalitis; Encephalitis, Viral - cerebrospinal fluid; Encephalitis, Viral - virology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Health aspects; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Immunocompetence; Immunocompromised Host; Infections; Infectious diseases; JC virus; JC Virus - isolation & purification; JCV; Leukemia; Medical sciences; Meningoencephalitis - cerebrospinal fluid; Meningoencephalitis - virology; microplate hybridisation; Nervous system; Original; Patients; PCR; Pediatric diseases; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polyoma virus; Polyomavirus; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - cerebrospinal fluid; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - virology; reverse transcriptase; Transplants & implants; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.88.2.174

Aim: To investigate the possible aetiological role of BK and JC viruses in immunocompetent and immunocompromised children with suspected encephalitis and meningoencephalitis. Methods: The polymerase chain reaction and microplate hybridisation method was employed for the detection of polyomavirus DNA in 266 CSF specimens collected from immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. Results: BK virus DNA was detected in three (2.1%) CSF samples taken from patients aged 2–5 years; two were patients with acute lymphocytic leukaemia without overt neurological symptoms, the other was a patient with suspected encephalitis. BK virus DNA was also detected in two (1.6%) CSF samples taken from older children in the age range 10–16 years; both children had suspected encephalitis. JC virus DNA was not found in any CSF sample from either age group. Conclusions: Detection of BK virus in the CSF of immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with suspected neurological disease suggests that this virus may have had a pathogenic role in the aetiology of this condition.