JC polyomavirus nephropathy

Scotti Gerber, Jennifer; De Marchi, Sara; Gaspert, Ariana; Fehr, Thomas; Cippà, Pietro E.

doi:10.1159/000540294

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Scotti Gerber_2024_Karger_CaseRepNephrolDial_JC Polyomavirus

Journal article

JC polyomavirus nephropathy : a rare complication late after kidney transplantation

Scotti Gerber, Jennifer Division of Nephrology, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Lugano, Switzerland - Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
De Marchi, Sara Division of Nephrology, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Lugano, Switzerland
Gaspert, Ariana Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland
Fehr, Thomas ORCID Department of Internal Medicine, Cantonal Hospital Graubünden, Chur, Switzerland - University of Zürich, Switzerland
Cippà, Pietro E. ORCID Division of Nephrology, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Lugano, Switzerland - Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

2024

Published in:

Case reports in nephrology and dialysis. - 2024, vol. 14, no. 1, p. 148-157

English Introduction: JC-polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (JC-PVAN) is a rare cause of allograft dysfunction with only a few cases described in the literature. Case Presentation: we present 2 cases of JC-PVAN, both of which occurred >5 years after kidney transplantation. In both cases, transplant biopsies were performed because of worsening of kidney function. We found tubulitis and interstitial inflammation; immunohistochemistry was positive for SV40, but BK virus was not detected. The presence of JC virus confirmed the diagnosis of JC-PVAN. Immunosuppressive therapy was adopted, but in both cases graft function progressively deteriorated. Conclusions: our cases show that JC-PVAN, although much rarer than BK-PVAN, should be considered a possible cause of graft dysfunction even years after transplantation. Complete diagnostic workup, including kidney biopsy, is crucial for correct diagnosis and treatment.

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