Detection of human polyomaviruses JC and BK in liver pretransplant patients

Objective This study aimed to identify and quantify polyomaviruses (BKPyV and JCPyV) in the saliva, mouthwash, blood and urine of liver pre-transplant patients. Materials & Methods A case-control study was performed using a convenience sample of 21 end-stage liver disease patients (EG = experimental group) and 20 normoreactive controls (CG = control group). In total, 162 samples were collected. Detection and quantification of polyomaviruses were performed by using real-time PCR method. Results In the EG, 21 samples (25%) were positive for BKPyV and 10 (11.90%) for JCPyV, while in the CG 27 samples (34.61%) were positive for BKPyV and 6 (7.69%) for JCPyV. With regard to the number of samples positive for BKPyV and JCPyV, there was no statistically significant difference between EG and CG (P = 0.52 and P = 0.25). In the EG, we observed a panorama similar to that of the CG regarding the presence of polyomaviruses in mouthwash, blood and urine. The greatest difference between the samples was that regarding the identification of BKPyV in saliva. Conclusion Cirrhotic patients on the liver transplant waiting list did not show higher prevalence of BKPyV and JCPyV compared to normoreactive controls. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.