Abstract
High multiplicity BK virus (BKV) infection of primary cells derived from human foetal pancreas resulted in massive cytopathology and subsequent outgrowth of cells. Intranuclear BKV T-antigen was present in all cells and viral antigen was detected in 10 to 30% of these cells. The subcultured cells yielded BKV in the supernatant (approx. 105 TCID50/ml) and in the cells free viral DNA was present (approx. 10% of total cellular DNA content). Analysis of the viral DNA indicated the presence of deleted and rearranged BKV DNA molecules. Although all cells continuously expressed BKV T-antigen they did not exhibit the transformed phenotype. This persistent infection of human foetal pancreas cells represents a novel type of in vitro interaction between BKV and human cells which may correspond to the in vivo findings on BKV tropism for pancreatic cells.