Prevalence and implication of TT virus infection: Minimal role in patients with non-A-E hepatitis in Taiwan
Journal
Journal of Medical Virology
Journal Volume
59
Journal Issue
3
Pages
307-312
Date Issued
1999
Author(s)
Abstract
TT virus (TTV) is a newly identified human DNA virus and little is known about its clinical significance. The aim of the study was to explore the prevalence of TTV infection in different risk populations and in patients with various liver diseases. Vital DNA was studied in 190 high-risk individuals, 97 household contacts, 52 patients with acute hepatitis A, 32 patients with nonA-E hepatitis including 13 fulminant hepatitis, 200 asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers, 100 patients with chronic hepatitis C, and 100 healthy adults. TTV infection was more frequent in high-risk groups (26-70%), patients with acute or fulminant non-A-E hepatitis (42-45%), and hepatitis C carriers (36%) than in healthy adults (10%) and hepatitis B carriers (15%). However, most of subjects with TTV infection alone had no or only mild hepatitis, and the same rate of TTV DNA in pre-hepatitis serum samples and constant serum TTV titers during hepatitis episodes were observed in two patients with acute non-A-E hepatitis. Phylogenetic analysis of the Taiwanese TTV isolates showed genetic heterogeneity and most (68%) isolates were TTV type 1. No particular strain was found to be associated with fulminant nonA-E hepatitis.
SDGs
Other Subjects
article; chronic disease; genetic analysis; genetic heterogeneity; genotype; hepatitis; hepatitis non A non B; human; human cell; open reading frame; prevalence; Taiwan; virus genome; virus infection; virus isolation; virus strain; DNA viruses; Hepatitis C virus; Non-A, non-B hepatitis virus; RNA viruses; TT virus
Publisher
Wiley-Liss Inc.
Type
journal article