Development of Vp1 Based Indirect Elisas for Bk and Jc Polyomaviruses With Seroprevalence Assessment and Cross Reactivity Evaluation Publisher Pubmed



Alipour A H ; Fallah F H ; Kiasari B A
Source: Scientific Reports Published:2026

Abstract

BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV) are widespread human polyomaviruses with significant clinical relevance, especially in immunocompromised populations. Reliable serological assays play a key role in epidemiological surveillance and clinical diagnostics. In this study, indirect ELISAs based on recombinant VP1 capsid proteins of BKV and JCV—expressed and purified using insect cell-based systems—were developed and optimized. A serological analysis of 67 human serum samples revealed an overall seroprevalence of 77.6% for BKV and 34.3% for JCV, with antibody prevalence increasing progressively with age. Importantly, competitive inhibition ELISAs demonstrated no significant cross-reactivity between antibodies against BKV and JCV VP1 antigens, confirming the high specificity of the assays. Comparative evaluation indicated that baculovirus-expressed VP1 antigens yielded higher quality proteins yielding stronger and more reliable assay signals, endorsing their use for large-scale seroepidemiological studies. These findings provide robust serological tools for accurate assessment of polyomavirus exposure and have potential clinical utility in monitoring populations at risk of polyomavirus-associated diseases, such as transplant recipients. © The Author(s) 2026.