Detection of identical JC virus DNA sequences in both human kidneys.

We studied JC virus (JCV) DNA sequence diversity among kidneys derived from cadavers with various causes of death. The 610-bp JCV DNA sequences we evaluated were identical not only among specimens derived from the same kidney but also among those derived from both kidneys of the same cadaver. Because the left and right kidneys are anatomically independent, our findings suggest that the viremia that has been proposed to occur after primary infection distributes the same JCV strain to both kidneys.