Abstract

JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) is a globally prevalent human polyomavirus that establishes lifelong latency, primarily in renal tissue. Despite its global importance, molecular epidemiological data on JCPyV still remain limited.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, genotype distribution, and genetic variations of JCPyV in urine and plasma samples from people living with HIV (PLWH) in Turkey. Additionally, we explored the correlation between JCPyV presence, immunological parameters, and demographic factors, providing the first molecular epidemiological report of JCPyV in this population. A prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional study was conducted on 107 PLWH and 77 healthy controls. JCPyV DNA was detected and quantified using qPCR, and VP1 gene sequencing was performed to determine viral genotypes. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using Clustal Omega and the Neighbour-Joining method with a bootstrap value of 1000.