BK virus in transplant recipients: Current perspectives

Abstract

Since its discovery in 1971, BK Polyomavirus infection has been increasingly recognized, especially since the introduction of more effective immunosuppressive medications in the early 1990s. BK virus is believed to have a high seroprevalence in healthy individuals, entering a latent phase in the genitourinary that follows the primary infection. Reactivation may occur in immunocompromised hosts, with significant effects seen especially in kidney and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Screening methods have been developed and are implemented as early detection may allow for the prevention of irreversible tissue damage. Reduction of immunosuppression remains the cornerstone of therapy for BKV infection, and adjunctive therapies have shown variable results. Newer cellular-based therapeutics might provide a more targeted treatment for BKV infection but are still in need of more randomized human studies.