Sero-epidemiological investigation of BK virus by real time PCR in patients with sjogren, romatoid arthritis and behçet

BK virus and JC virus are the first isolated human polyomaviruses. BK virus was first detected in 1971 at a virus research laboratory in England (Dr. S. Gardner) in a study of the epidemiology of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in renal transplant patients. Primary infection of BK virus is usually asymptomatic, sometimes causing mild fever, unspecified upper airway infection and acute cystitis. The majority are seen in early childhood, with a seroprevalence of 65-90%. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common systemic autoimmune, chronic inflammatory disease with symmetrical erosive synovial joint involvement. The etiology of rheumatoid arthritis is still not fully understood. Although infectious agents have not been clearly demonstrated in rheumatoid arthritis, some infectious agents have been suggested to be primary agents. Although agents such as BK virus, Mycoplasma, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), CMV and rubella virus have been accused, none of them has been proven. Sjögren's syndrome is a slowly progressive chronic, systemic, autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands of unknown origin. The etiopathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome is unknown, but genetic, hormonal and viral causes have been investigated. Two theories have been proposed in the pathogenesis of the disease; genetic predisposition and autoimmunity caused by viruses. Behcet's disease (BH), Turkish dermatologist Dr. Hulusi Behçet (1937) described oral and genital ulceration as a three-symptom complex with hypopionic uveitis. The etiopathogenesis of Behçet's disease has not been fully elucidated. Samples collected from the three patient groups were analyzed for BK virus by Real-Time PCR. Significant difference was found between rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome patient groups and control groups. It was concluded that multidimensional studies should be performed in larger patient groups for the emergence of BK virus pathogenesis. Keywords: BK virus, Rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, Behcet's Disease, Real-Time PCR