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Infection with an unenveloped DNA Virus (TTV) associated with posttransfusion non‐A to G hepatitis in hepatitis patients and healthy blood donors in Thailand
Author(s) -
Tanaka Hiroto,
Okamoto Hiroaki,
Luengrojanakul Pairoj,
Chainuvati Termchai,
Tsuda Fumio,
Tanaka Takeshi,
Miyakawa Yuzo,
Mayumi Makoto
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199811)56:3<234::aid-jmv10>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - virology , medicine , hepatitis , hepatitis a virus , virus , hepatitis c virus , viral disease , biology
An unenveloped single‐stranded DNA virus (TTV) has been reported in association with posttransfusion and acute and chronic hepatitis of unknown etiology. DNA of TTV was tested for by polymerase chain reaction with heminested primers in 127 patients with chronic liver disease and 105 healthy blood donors in Thailand. TTV DNA was detected in 23 (59%) of the 39 patients without hepatitis B surface antigen or RNA of hepatitis C virus, at a frequency significantly higher than the detection in 21 (36%) of the 59 patients with HBsAg ( P < 0.05) or in 38 (36%) of the 105 blood donors ( P < 0.05). Among patients with chronic liver disease, TTV DNA occurred in those with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma more frequently than in those with chronic hepatitis (35 of 65 or 54% vs. 20 of 62 or 32%, P < 0.05). There were no differences in age, sex, or markers of infection with hepatitis B, C and GBV‐C/HGV viruses, indicating a mode of transmission of TTV different from those of the other hepatitis viruses. Phylogenetic analysis indicated three different genotypes of TTV with six distinct subtypes in Thailand. Based on these results, TTV would have a role in the development of chronic liver disease of unknown etiology in Thailand. J. Med. Virol. 56:234–238, 1998 . © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.