Identification of archetype and rearranged forms of BK virus in leukocytesfrom healthy individuals

BK virus (BKV) establishes a persistent, asymptomatic infection in more tha n 80% of the hu man population, and in immunocompromised individuals BKV ca uses acute urinary tract infections. Two forms of BKV, archetype and rearra nged, have been recovered previously from urine samples. The rearranged for m is believed to have emerged from the archetype form by the deletion and d uplication of sequences within the transcriptional control region (TCR). We have PCR-amplified unique rearranged forms of the BKV TCR from peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) of healthy donors. By employing archetype-specific PCR primers, the archetype BKV TCR was also detected in PBLs. These finding s are consistent with the hypotheses that PBLs transport BKV to different s ites within the body and play a role in the TCR rearrangement process. BKV sequences were detected in 21 of 38 BKV-seropositive and 1 of 2 BKV-seroneg ative individuals. Because of recent suggestions that SV40 may circulate in the human population, the donors' sera were also examined for the presence of specific anti-SV40 antibodies. A high antibody titer to SV40 was detect ed in only 1 of the 40 donor specimens. This study is the first to characte rize multiple BKV TCR variants in PBLs from healthy people and to correlate PCR and serological methods used to detect BKV infections. J. Med. Virol 6 0:353-362, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.