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Biopsy proven BK virus nephropathy in kidney transplant recepients: A multi-central study from Turkey (BK-TURK STUDY)
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  • Ozkan Gungor,
  • Hamad Dheir,
  • huseyin toz,
  • Abdulmecit Yildiz,
  • Ayse Sinangil,
  • Erhan Tatar,
  • Gulay Asci,
  • Eda Altun,
  • Orcun Altunoren,
  • Suheyla Apaydin,
  • Alparslan Ersoy,
  • Berfu Korucu,
  • Seda Safak,
  • Ulver Derici,
  • Saliha Yildirim,
  • Nurhan Seyahi,
  • Seyda Gul Ozcan,
  • Kadir Gokhan Atilgan,
  • Mehmet Deniz Ayli,
  • Caner Cavdar,
  • Ozcan Uzun,
  • Rahmi Yilmaz,
  • Arda Erdut,
  • Mustafa Sevinc,
  • Umut Kasapoğlu,
  • Ismail Kocyigit,
  • Cihan Uysal,
  • Kultigin Turkmen,
  • Hakan Ozer,
  • Arzu Velioglu,
  • Ebru Ok,
  • Bulent Kaya,
  • Zulfikar yılmaz,
  • Oktay Ozkan,
  • Egemen Cebeci,
  • Kenan Turgutalp,
  • Meltem Gursu,
  • Enver Yüksel,
  • Necmi Eren,
  • Erkan Dervisoglu,
  • Fatma Betul Guzel,
  • Gursel Yildiz,
  • Serkan Bakirdogen,
  • Ayca Inci,
  • Can Sevinc,
  • Özkan Ulutaş,
  • Aydin Turkmen,
  • Mahmud ISLAM
Ozkan Gungor
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Hamad Dheir
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi

Corresponding Author:hamaddheir@gmail.com

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huseyin toz
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Abdulmecit Yildiz
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Ayse Sinangil
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Erhan Tatar
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Gulay Asci
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Eda Altun
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Orcun Altunoren
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Suheyla Apaydin
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Alparslan Ersoy
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Berfu Korucu
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Seda Safak
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Ulver Derici
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Saliha Yildirim
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Nurhan Seyahi
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Seyda Gul Ozcan
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Kadir Gokhan Atilgan
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Mehmet Deniz Ayli
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Caner Cavdar
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Ozcan Uzun
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Rahmi Yilmaz
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Arda Erdut
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Mustafa Sevinc
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Umut Kasapoğlu
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Ismail Kocyigit
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Cihan Uysal
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Kultigin Turkmen
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Hakan Ozer
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Arzu Velioglu
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Ebru Ok
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Bulent Kaya
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Zulfikar yılmaz
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Oktay Ozkan
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Egemen Cebeci
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Kenan Turgutalp
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Meltem Gursu
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Enver Yüksel
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Necmi Eren
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Erkan Dervisoglu
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Fatma Betul Guzel
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Gursel Yildiz
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Serkan Bakirdogen
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Ayca Inci
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Can Sevinc
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Özkan Ulutaş
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Aydin Turkmen
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Mahmud ISLAM
Turk Nefroloji Dernegi
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Abstract

Background: Polyomavirus BK virus infection is a significant complication of renal transplantation and is an important cause of allograft loss. Today, despite the innovations in the pharmaceutical industry, a curative treatment against the BK virus has not been developed. The management is not standardized and is generally based on reported experience from transplantation centers. However, the literature on the subject with large samples is limited. Therefore, we designed a study to present our countrywide experience with BK virus nephropathy (BKVN) in renal transplant recipients. Methods: Our study was conducted with thirty kidney transplant centers from all provinces of Turkey. Only cases with BKVN proven by allograft biopsy were included in our study. Demographic characteristics and laboratory values of the patients were obtained from the archives and electronic databases of the centers. Results: A total of 13.857 patients from 30 transplantation centers were screened. 207 BKVN cases proven by allograft biopsy were identified and included in the study. The mean age was 46.4±13.1, and 146 (70.5%) patients were male. Twenty-six patients did not receive any induction therapy, 144 patients received anti-T lymphocyte globulin (ATLG), and 37 patients received basiliximab after transplantation. 23.6% of the patients had acute rejection history in the first six months of renal transplantation. all were treated with pulse steroids, and 46 were also treated with ATLG. The mean time to diagnosis of BKVN was 15.8±22.2 months after transplantation. At the time of diagnosis, the patients’ mean creatinine level was 1.8±0.7 mg/dl, and the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 45.8±19.6 ml/min. While BKVN was solely reported in 181 cases, there were cellular rejection findings in 21 biopsy specimens and humoral rejection in 4 biopsy specimens. In addition of dose reduction or discontinuation of immunosuppressive drugs, eighteen patients were treated with cidofovir, 11 patients with leflunomide, 17 patients with quinolones, 15 patients with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), five patients with cidofovir+IVIG, and 12 patients with leflunomide+IVIG. None of the patients who received leflunomide and leflunomide+IVIG had allograft loss. Allograft loss was observed in 12 (15%) of 78 patients treated with antivirals or immunomodulators. Allograft loss occurred in 32 patients (15%) during follow-up out of 207 patients with BKVN. Five patients were retransplanted, and none developed BKVN during the follow-up. Conclusions: BKVN is still a significant cause of allograft loss in kidney transplantation, which has not been fully elucidated. Leflunomide appears to be an effective treatment in these patients.