The Role of HLA and KIR Immunogenetics in BK Virus Infection after Kidney Transplantation

Viruses

Vanja Ivkovic¹  Ivana Kovacevic Vojtusek¹  Marija Burek Kamenaric²  Renata Zunec² 

[1] Department of Nephrology, Hypertension, Dialysis and Transplantation, University Hospital Center Zagreb, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia;Tissue Typing Center, Clinical Department of Transfusion Medicine and Transplantation Biology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia;

关键词: BK virus;    BK virus-associated nephropathy;    kidney transplantation;    human leukocyte antigen;    killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor;    natural killer cells;   

DOI  :  10.3390/v12121417

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

BK virus (BKV) is a polyomavirus with high seroprevalence in the general population with an unremarkable clinical presentation in healthy people, but a potential for causing serious complications in immunosuppressed transplanted patients. Reactivation or primary infection in kidney allograft recipients may lead to allograft dysfunction and subsequent loss. Currently, there is no widely accepted specific treatment for BKV infection and reduction of immunosuppressive therapy is the mainstay therapy. Given this and the sequential appearance of viruria-viremia-nephropathy, screening and early detection are of utmost importance. There are numerous risk factors associated with BKV infection including genetic factors, among them human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) alleles have been shown to be the strongest so far. Identification of patients at risk for BKV infection would be useful in prevention or early action to reduce morbidity and progression to frank nephropathy. Assessment of risk involving HLA ligands and KIR genotyping of recipients in the pre-transplant or early post-transplant period might be useful in clinical practice. This review summarizes current knowledge of the association between HLA, KIR and BKV infection and potential future directions of research, which might lead to optimal utilization of these genetic markers.

【 授权许可】

Unknown