Identification of polyoma BK virus in kidney transplant recipients by shell vial cell culture assay and urine cytology.

Urine cytology often is used to identify BK virus in kidney transplant recipients in the cytology laboratory. To assess the usefulness of the shell vial cell culture assay to identify BK virus, urine samples from 42 kidney transplant recipients were tested by the urine cytology and shell vial cell culture assays. The shell vial cell culture assay is just as sensitive and specific as urine cytology for the identification of BK virus in kidney transplant recipients.