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Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 2007 22(Supplement 8):viii66-viii71; doi:10.1093/ndt/gfm646
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© The Author [2007]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

The influence of immunosuppression on the development of BK virus nephropathy—does it matter?

Jörg Beimler, Claudia Sommerer and Martin Zeier

Correspondence to: Dr Jörg Beimler, Nierenzentrum Heidelberg, Department of Nephrology/University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 162, 69120 Heidelberg. Email: beimler{at}gmx.de



  Abstract

In the last decade the incidence of BK virus infection has increased in renal transplant recipients and become an important factor negatively influencing graft outcome. BK virus infection cannot be attributed to a single immunosuppressive agent or regimen. The risk of BKV infection is related to the overall load of immunosuppression, which is determined not only by immunosuppressive drugs but also by the humoral and cellular immunity of the recipient. Reduction in immunosuppression at this time appears to be the best available approach to the treatment of established BKVN. Assays are lacking that are able to measure the degree of immunosuppression in a given patient at a given time after transplantation. The balance between a sufficient yet nontoxic immunosuppressive regimen remains a major problem in preventing complications such as BK virus nephropathy. This article will focus on the influence of immunosuppressive medication on the development of BKVN. The role of other aspects such as viral virulence, humoral and cellular immunity or renal specificity will be shortly discussed.

Keywords: BK virus nephropathy; BK virus nephritis; polyomavirus; renal transplantation; immunosuppression


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[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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