1. BK virus DNA in CSF of immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients.
- Author
-
Behzad-Behbahani A, Klapper PE, Vallely PJ, and Cleator GM
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Encephalitis, Viral virology, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Humans, Immune Tolerance, Immunocompromised Host, JC Virus isolation & purification, Meningoencephalitis virology, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma virology, BK Virus isolation & purification, DNA, Viral analysis, Encephalitis, Viral cerebrospinal fluid, Meningoencephalitis cerebrospinal fluid, Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma cerebrospinal fluid
- Abstract
Aim: To investigate the possible aetiological role of BK and JC viruses in immunocompetent and immunocompromised children with suspected encephalitis and meningoencephalitis., Methods: The polymerase chain reaction and microplate hybridisation method was employed for the detection of polyomavirus DNA in 266 CSF specimens collected from immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients., Results: BK virus DNA was detected in three (2.1%) CSF samples taken from patients aged 2-5 years; two were patients with acute lymphocytic leukaemia without overt neurological symptoms, the other was a patient with suspected encephalitis. BK virus DNA was also detected in two (1.6%) CSF samples taken from older children in the age range 10-16 years; both children had suspected encephalitis. JC virus DNA was not found in any CSF sample from either age group., Conclusions: Detection of BK virus in the CSF of immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with suspected neurological disease suggests that this virus may have had a pathogenic role in the aetiology of this condition.
- Published
- 2003
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