Minh-Thu Nguyen, BS1, Phylicia Gawu, MS2, Leon Li Tung, MD3, Zhen Yang, MS4, Lynn Soong, MD, PhD5, and Jianli Dong, MD, PhD4
Abstract: BK virus (BKV) is a significant contributor to renal allograft dysfunction due to its prevalence in
immunocompromised transplant patients. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is also common in the same
group. Since both BKV and CMV are ubiquitous infections and reactivation of both viruses can occur in
immunosuppressed states, such as renal transplantation, we performed a retrospective analysis of BKV and
CMV co-activation in renal transplant patients. Between January 2013 and December 2014, 222 renal transplant
patients were tested for BKV and CMV using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the Molecular
Diagnostics Laboratory at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Texas. Assessment of CMV viral load was
performed using plasma samples, while BKV viral load was assessed in both plasma and urine samples. We
found that 53 patients (26.6%) were positive for BKV, 10 patients (7.2%) were positive for CMV, 6 patients
(2.7%) were positive for co-reactivation, and 153 patients were negative for both viruses (68.92%). There was
no significant association between BKV and CMV co-activation in renal transplant patients.
