What is a high level of BK virus?

What is a high level of BK virus?

A high level of BK viruria (≥ 25 million copies/mL) was found in 110 (30.1%) patients. At least 1 blood or biopsy BK test was available for all patients. Blood tests for BKV DNA were available for 361 patients, and 52 (14.4%) were positive.

Can you get rid of the BK virus?

A BKV infection may go away on its own without treatment. If you take antirejection medicine, your healthcare provider may change or decrease your dose. You may also need any of the following: Medicines may be used to decrease pain, help your immune system, or kill the BK virus.

What is the BK virus in kidney?

BK virus (BKV) is a common infection encountered after kidney transplantation. BKV is associated with a spectrum of manifestations, starting with sub-clinical viruria, followed by viremia and BKV-associated nephropathy. Standard of care includes routine post-transplant screening for BK viruria and/or viremia.

What is BK virus in urine?

BK virus (BKV) is a ubiquitous polyoma virus, often acquired during childhood with a 80–90% seroprevalence rate among adults. The major sites of BKV appearance are the kidney tubular epithelial cells and urinary bladder surface transitional cells.

What does the BK virus cause?

The BK virus was first isolated from the urine of a renal transplant recipient with ureteric stenosis in 1971 [1], but it was not until 20 years later that BK was recognized as a cause of interstitial nephritis and allograft failure in renal transplant recipients [2, 3].

How do you treat BK virus in kidney transplant?

Treatment

  1. The goal in treating BKV infection is to eliminate the virus while preserving renal function and preventing acute or chronic rejection.
  2. Discontinuation of a single immunosuppression agent, antimetabolite (MMF or azathioprine), upon recognition of viremia has been used successfully to clear viremia (49).