Microbial Pathogenesis, 2019. 131, 75-80, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2019.03.020

The frequency of Merkel cell polyomavirus in whole blood from immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients with kidney disease and healthy donors

Hyoung-Tae Jin, Seok-Joo Park;Eun-Kyoung Choi;Yong-Sun Kim

Highlights

• MCPyV DNA is present in blood from healthy individuals and immunocompetent dialysis patients.
• MCPyV sequences showed high homology with MCPyV sequences belonging to the TKS strain from Japan rather than the Chinese/European/North American strains.
• A low level of MCPyV shedding was detected in blood among 3 groups by real-time PCR.
• This is the first study on a Korean MCPyV strain identified in whole-blood samples from Korean kidney disease patients and healthy individuals.

Abstract

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is a rare, aggressive and related to human diseases in immunocompromised patients. MCPyV has been detected in skin neoplasms, various cancers, immunosuppressed patients and immunocompetent individuals. Several studies have confirmed the presence of MCPyV in patients with kidney dysfunction, such as kidney transplant (KTx) and long-term dialysis patients.

The aims of this study were to quantify and compare the frequency of MCPyV in whole blood samples from immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients and healthy blood donors and to compare MCPyV genotypes in a Korean population.

DNA from Groups 1, 2, and 3 was screened for MCPyV using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) with primer pairs targeting two regions of the large T-antigen.

Thirteen of 122 whole-blood samples (12.7%) were positive for MCPyV. The virus was detected in the three groups of patients and healthy donors; specifically, in 5 of 30 (16.7%) KTx patients (Group 1), 6 of 52 (11.5%) dialysis patients (Group 2), and 4 of 40 (10%) healthy donors (Group 3). Low viral DNA loads 4.4–18 copies/μl were observed using qPCR DNA sequences from the two MCPyV-LT regions, which showed high homology with MCPyV sequences belonging to the TKS strain from Japan rather than the Chinese/European/North American strains. The MCPyV DNA was similarly amplified in whole blood from immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients and healthy donors. This virus may be involved in establishing the persistence of infected peripheral leukocytes in the host, based on the incidence of detection of MCPyV DNA in blood samples from immunocompromised and immunocompetent subjects. This study is the first to identify a Korean MCPyV strain in whole-blood samples from Korean patients with kidney disease and healthy individuals.

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2019.03.020
• ISBN or ISSN: 0882-4010

• 본 연구는 질병관리본부 연구개발과제연구비를 지원받아 수행되었습니다.
• This research was supported by a fund by Research of Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.