The activating protein 1 (AP-1) family of regulatory proteins is characterized as immediate-early inducible transcription factors which were shown to be activated by a variety of stress-related stimuli and to be involved in numerous biological processes, including cellular and viral gene expression, cell proliferation, differentiation, and tumorigenesis. We have recently demonstrated the involv...

The human polyomavirus JC (JCV) infects most healthy adults without causing any disease. In the setting of severe deficit of cell-mediated immunity, such as in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), malignancies or in organ transplant recipients, JCV can reactivate and cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a deadly demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. The h...

The distribution of JC virus (JCV) variants in the brain, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and lymph nodes collected at autopsy from AIDS patients with (Group A: 10 Ss) and without (Group B: 5 Ss) progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and from HIV-negative patients (Group C: 5 Ss), was examined by amplifying the JCV large T antigen (LT), the regulatory (R) and the VP1 regions. Among the s...

Background and Aims: The role of BK and JC polyomaviruses (BKV and JCV) in the causation of respiratory disease and the natural route of transmission has not well been established. The aim of study was to determine the prevalence of BK and JC viruses in 280 respiratory samples and evaluate their contribution to respiratory disease. Materials and Methods: PCR was used to screen specimens for BK...

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare, myelin-damaging disease of the central nervous system (CNS) in a setting of immunosuppression that is superimposed by concurrent autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and AIDS or simultaneous administration of immune modulatory monoclonal antibody drugs such as natalizumab. The causative agent is a Polyomavirus known as John C...

Correspondence: Maria Lucia Brito Ferreira; Rua Doutor José Maria, 841; 52040-000 Recife PE, Brasil; E-mail: [email protected] Conflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest to declare. Received 23 September 2014 Accepted 01 October 2014 The last five years had as benchmark the development of new drugs for treatment of multiple sclerosis. Its treatment has become complex because othe...

Abstract Background and Aims Polyomaviruses (PyV) are ubiquitous human viral pathogens. BKV JCV representing this family common causative agents of complications among kidney recipients. Viral load higher than 1×107 copies/ml in urine (viruria) or 1×104 serum (viremia) posttransplantation period may lead to polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN), hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) even transplant fa...

IMPORTANCE Infection with JC virus (JCV) may lead to development of demyelinating progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are treated with natalizumab. OBJECTIVE To determine whether mononuclear cells in circulation from MS patients treated with natalizumab harbor JCV DNA. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this prospective investigation, we...