KI polyomavirus Sequenses in respiratory specimens from Bulgarian children

Abstract

KI Polyomavirus (KI PyV) has been recently discovered in the respiratory specimens of children and HIV-positive patients. The etiological role of KI PyV in respiratory disease has not been proved yet, but as a member of the polyomavirus family, the virus has oncogenic potential and is probably involved in development of human disease, especially in individuals with immunodeficiency. The published prevalence of KI PyV among children with respiratory diseases ranges from 1 to 4.8%, but in HIV-positive patients it is much higher. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of KI PyV in Bulgarian children with respiratory diseases. Specimens were collected from 123 children at an age from 1 to 16 years divided in two groups: first group of 86 children with respiratory diseases; and a control group of 37 healthy children. Samples were tested using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. All patients that were positive for KI PyV were also tested by ELISA for IgM antibodies against other respiratory viruses. This is the first report concerning the detection of KI PyV in Bulgaria. The prevalence of KI PyV in the group with the respiratory diseases and the control group of children was established as 3 out of 86 and 1 out of 37, respectively. The mean prevalence was 3.25%. A high rate of co-infection with other respiratory viruses (Influenza virus, RS virus) was observed in the patients positive for KI PyV. In one patient KI PyV was determined as a sole etiologic pathogen, but other respiratory viruses such as Metapneumovirus, Corona virus, Bocavirus, etc. were not investigated. Although the prevalence of KI PyV among Bulgarian children with respiratory disorders according to studied subgroups was with frequency between 3.33% and 3.84%, with a mean of 3.49%, an evident role of KI PyV in the causation of respiratory diseases has not been established.