Antibodies to BK virus in children prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant
Authors: Laskin, B.L., Sullivan, K.E., Hester, J., Goebel, J., Davies, S.M., Jodele, S.,
BK virus (BKV) is associated with kidney and bladder disease after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) but less is known about the seroprevalence of pre-transplant antibodies to BKV in children. We measured BKV IgG antibody titers in 36 children before HCT. BKV IgG antibodies were detected in all 36 patients, with 28/36 (77.8%) developing BK viremia in the first 100 days. Pre-HCT BKV IgG antibody titers >1:40,960 were protective against later BK viremia ≥10,000 copies/ml. The seroprevalence of antibodies to BKV is high in children undergoing HCT and post-transplant BK viremia, which is associated with bladder and kidney injury, is common. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:1670–1673. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc...View Here
