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| Clinical Background: | The human polyomavirus, JC virus (JCV), is a ubiquitous agent that infects a high proportion of the population (65% by age 14). Primary infection generally occurs during childhood and is usually clinically silent but may present as a mild respiratory illness. During primary infection viremia occurs and the agent takes up residence in the kidney, persisting indefinitely. Immunocompromised conditions result in reactivation of virus and viruria, documented most extensively in renal allograft and bone marrow transplant recipients as well as in pregnant women. JC is also neurotropic and is the causative agent in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). PML is an infection of oligodendrocytes by JC virus, resulting in multifocal, progressive neuorologic manifestations associated with nerve demyelination. Standard methods used for the detection of JCV viruria include isolation of the virus in cell culture, electron microscopy, cytological examination and immunofluorescent staining of exfoliated urinary cells, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antigen, and DNA hybridization with labeled nucleic acid probes. JCV has been detected in brain tissue by similar techniques. | |||||||||||||||||||
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