DETECTION OF BK POLYOMAVIRUS GENOTYPES IN HEALTHY AND HIV-POSITIVE CHILDREN

Urine samples from 211 community children (3-7 years age), from 33 HIV type-1 infected children and from 56 HIV-negative children were colle cted and analyzed for the presence of BK virus (BKV) DNA by PCR. PCR a mplifications were carried out using primers specific for the BKV stru ctural region VP1. We also investigated the distribution of BKV subtyp es by a restriction fragment polymorphism assay (RFLP). We demonstrate d BKV DNA in 3.8% of 211 community children with a higher prevalence o f subtype I. In HIV-1 positive children we detected BKV DNA in 2 urine samples (6%) out of 33, both belonging to subtype I. The HIV-negative cluster did not show any positivity to BKV DNA. The results confirm a more frequent primary BKV infection in children of 3-5 years of age a nd a higher prevalence in hospitalized children affected by HIV-1. The most relevant finding was that among both the community and HIV-1 pos itive children the subtype I was the most frequently detected.