The transcriptomic insight of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in renal transplant recipients infected with BK virus

AimsThe 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.MethodPBMC 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.ResultsThe findings demonstrate that individuals with an active BKPyV infection exhibit upregulation of chemokine receptors, including CXCR2 and CCR3, as well as the integrin ITGAM.ConclusionTherefore, 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.