BACKGROUND: Following kidney transplantation, BK virus associated nephropathy (BKVN) occurs in 1 to 10% of kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and represents a major cause of graft loss. We aim at identifying factors associated with biopsy proven BKVN among KTR. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case-control study including all KTR with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of BKVN between 2005 and 2019. Clinical characteristics and outcome were described. For each case, one control KTR without BKV infection was identified and matched by age, transplant date, and donor status. Factors associated with BKVN diagnosis were identified using exact conditional logistic regression. Comparative survival was described using Kaplan-Meier estimator. RESULTS: Sixty-four cases of BKVN were identified among 1737 new kidney transplantation (3.7% prevalence). Clinical characteristics did not differ between groups, except for a higher c-PRA among cases. BKVN occurred in a median time of 11 (5-14.5) months after KT, and was associated with a significantly impaired graft function at diagnosis. Following BKVN, 61 (95%) of the patients had immunosuppression reduction, which led to BKV DNAemia resolution in 49% of cases. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with BKVN diagnosis were lymphopenia < 500/mm3 and a prednisone dose > 7.5 mg/day. Median duration of follow-up was 40 months for both groups. BKVN was associated with a significantly increased risk of graft rejection (P = 0.02) and return to dialysis (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: BKVN remains a severe complication in KTR and is associated with an increased risk for acute rejection and return to dialysis. Lymphopenia below 500/mm3 and corticosteroid maintenance therapy are significantly associated with biopsy-proven BKVN diagnosis.
BK Virus , Kidney Diseases , Kidney Transplantation , Lymphopenia , Nephritis, Interstitial , Polyomavirus Infections , Tumor Virus Infections , Humans , Kidney Transplantation/adverse effects , Case-Control Studies , Retrospective Studies , Kidney Diseases/epidemiology , Nephritis, Interstitial/etiology , Transplant Recipients , Risk Factors , Lymphopenia/complications , Polyomavirus Infections/diagnosis , Tumor Virus Infections/epidemiology , Graft Rejection
Acute Kidney Injury , Hypertension , Acute Kidney Injury/chemically induced , Acute Kidney Injury/drug therapy , Acute Kidney Injury/prevention & control , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/adverse effects , Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use , Humans , Hypertension/drug therapy , Iatrogenic Disease/prevention & control , Kidney , Renin-Angiotensin System
We report a 35-year-old man who suffered from recurrent macroscopic haematuria after intensive exercise. One episode was associated with bilateral loin (flank) pain and severe acute kidney injury. His kidney biopsy revealed an atypical anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease typified by bright linear GBM staining for monotypic immunoglobulin G but without a diffuse crescentic phenotype and no circulating anti-GBM antibody. Outcome was spontaneously favourable. The patient had no recurrence or urine abnormality without running. The original presentation emphasized that exercise could reveal an underlying glomerulopathy.
