Common Cause for Complications After Kidney Transplantation Identified

The BK polyomavirus often causes complications after kidney transplantation. The research group of Professor Hans H. Hirsch from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel has now been able to show, that the immunosuppressive drug Tacrolimus directly activates the replication of the virus and could thus be responsible for these complications. The "American Journal of Transplantation" has published the study. Polyomavirus infections are common, however, they usually do not cause symptoms in healthy adults. However, the virus becomes much more problematic for patients who have to take immunosuppressive drugs after kidney transplantation. In ten to twenty percent of all cases, the BK virus starts to spread within the transplant and causes an inflammation. This can, in the worst case, destroy the new organ entirely and put the patient back on the transplant waiting list.