Samaneh Abolbashari - Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
MohammadTaghi Shakeri - Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Maryam Hami - Kidney Transplantation Complications Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Aida Gholoobi - Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Amin Hooshyar Chechaklou - Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Mohammad Sadegh Damavandi - Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Aref Movaqar - Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Background & Objective: Polyomaviruses types BK and JC and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) have been shown to be related to kidney transplantation complications. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of these viruses in patients receiving kidney transplantation.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on ۴۰ kidney transplant recipients and ۴۴ donors. Urine samples were used for the extraction of viral DNA. The prevalence of JC and BK viruses and their viral loads were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results: JC and BK viruses were identified in ۳۱% and ۹۲.۳% of all subjects, respectively. The frequency of JC and BK cases was not statistically different between the recipient and donor groups (P>۰.۰۵). All patients in the donor group and ۹۶.۸% of the recipients were positive for CMV IgG antibody. The mean viral load of BK in donors and recipients was ۴.۵×۱۰۱۰ and ۳.۳×۱۰۱۱ copies, respectively. The mean viral load of JC was ۸.۶×۱۰۷ copies in donors and ۲.۹×۱۰۸ copies in recipients. The distribution of BKV was significantly higher in recipients than donors (P=۰.۰۰۱), while no difference was observed between the two studied groups for JCV.Conclusion: This study showed a relatively high prevalence of BK and JC viruria in both renal transplant donors and recipients. The viral load for BKV, but not JCV, was higher in recipients than in donors.

BK virus, Cytomegalovirus, JC virus, Renal transplant