The Transcriptomic Insight of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Renal Transplant Recipients Infected With Bk Virus Publisher



Kaleji H¹ ; Mokhtariazad T¹ ; Khatami MR² ; Rahimi Foroushani A³ ; Parhizgari N¹ ; Rezaei F¹
Source: Future Virology Published:2024

Abstract

Aims: The reactivation of BKPyV infection during immunosuppressive therapy is the most prevalent infection in transplant recipients, with the potential to cause BKPyV-associated nephropathy. The proposition has been posited that the innate immune responses initiated by infection play a pivotal role in the defense against BKPyV infection and the pathophysiology of renal injury. This study presents a transcriptomic signature of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in individuals who have undergone kidney transplantation and are infected with the BK polyomavirus. Method: PBMC samples were obtained from KT recipients with and without active BKPyV infection for comparative purposes. The total RNA was evaluated through the high-throughput RNA-seq method, and subsequently, the three hub genes were validated by RT-qPCR. The statistical analyses were conducted utilizing the DESeq2 R package and GraphPad PRISM, while the network analysis was performed with Cytoscape. Results: The findings demonstrate that individuals with an active BKPyV infection exhibit upregulation of chemokine receptors, including CXCR2 and CCR3, as well as the integrin ITGAM. Conclusion: Therefore, the transcriptomic profile of PBMC from KT recipients with BKPyV infection demonstrated an increase in the expression of migration-facilitating molecules, which facilitate the recruitment of immune cells in the graft and increase rejection threat. © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.