Prevalence and genotyping of BK polyomavirus in kidney transplant recipients; a cross-sectional study in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran

Abstract

BK polyomavirus (BKV) presents a significant challenge in renal transplantation, as it is strongly associated with nephropathy and subsequent graft loss. Although four genotypes have been identified based on VP1 region nucleotide sequences, genotype I remains the most prevalent globally. This study investigated the prevalence and viral subtypes of BKV among kidney transplant recipients in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study. Urine samples were collected from 37 kidney transplant recipients. Viral DNA was isolated and analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Phylogenetic analysis was performed using MEGA 6.0 software to identify viral subtypes and construct a phylogenetic tree. BKV DNA was detected in 17 of the 37 samples (46). Sequence analysis identified subtype I as the dominant genotype in this region. While prevalence was higher in patients over 45 years of age, no statistically significant correlation was found between BKV positivity and age or gender. Given the high prevalence of BKV in this cohort and the absence of specific antiviral therapies, routine pre- and post-transplant screening for both donors and recipients is strongly recommended to prevent BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVN) and graft rejection. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s); Published by Society of Diabetic Nephropathy Prevention. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.